


The Comeback Kid

by CoulditbeaFeeling



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2019-11-24 20:25:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18169520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoulditbeaFeeling/pseuds/CoulditbeaFeeling
Summary: When Penelope leaves Josie, Josie literally ignites. She is left to find out the truth about the Merge, about potential death without truly living. With the help of Hope, MG and others, she goes after her heart-broken ex. But when they arrive over-seas, they find Penelope has gone missing. The group is forced to fight off wicked creatures on their journey to finding her, and run into a few blasts from the past along the way.This is a story of deceit, danger and desperation. The tone is heavy at times, but I'm trying to call-on the on screen chemistry of these characters in the scenes they have here as well. Its not all doom and gloom in The Comeback Kid.





	1. Fire

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first fic here. I wanted to upload just the first bit to see if anyone was interested. I really hope you are, cuz I am excited to keep writing. I love these characters, so I tried to do them justice. It may seem like wicked mellow at first, but its gunna ramp up quick. I love me some action ;)

_“I don’t know if I can do it… I don’t know if I can tell them. Enough is on their minds as it is, tearing them apart. Teenage years have divided them already. To say anything would… well it would break them. When it happens... the Merge, I’ll lose one of them, we’ll all lose one of them. I need to tell them the truth, but I’m still reaching for that last sliver of hope that somehow their mother will find something before I need to. I pray the day never comes, for the sake of my girls.”_

 

Josie slowly places the page down, letting her father’s scribbled entry take back its place in the binder she was given two nights ago. Her hand quivers as she wraps her fingers around a paper clip, shakily curving it back around the tussled paper and the rest underneath it. The unsteady influx of oxygen in her throat hitches for a second as the dim light from her desk lamp glistens in the murky reflection of a tear she’s left behind. She brushes it away harshly, smudging the magical ink.

 

She stares at the written thoughts of Alaric for a moment longer before peeling herself off the seat she has resided in for enough hours to have lost count. The legs beneath her rumble as if the ground were soft and unfamiliar. Pins and needles run up her body, sending a shiver up her spine, contradicting the sudden flush of heat emanating from her core.

 

Her eyes dart around the room, scanning for an out, something to distract her from the whirlwind of thoughts crashing through her mind. She glances at the door and staggers a few steps in its direction, halting just before it as blood curls wickedly beneath her skin.

 

Clenching her fists, she attempts to suppress the energy balling up in her palms. It won’t stop though; the fire has always had a mind of its own. The red veins in her wrist are crawling with untamed magic and suddenly her hands ignite. They burn erratically, growing from her fingers and expanding unforgivingly. Primal rage feeds it, stemming from the inability to comprehend the information from her dad’s own writing, threatening to cause yet another emergency at the Salvatore school.

 

Josie grits her teeth in a last-ditch effort to curb the flames, but part of her just wants to let them go, wipe out everything that has led her to this point, to burn the book on her desk to a crisp. She wants to burn the false sense of safety the school and her family has brought her for the last sixteen years.

 

She inhales sharply as she makes her decision, bringing her arms above her head, ready to crack down, to let out everything, not stopping to think about the consequences.

 

As her arms finish ascending, the door before her whips open and a person whooshes in with godlike speed. The door slams shut just as fast as it opened due to the sheer force of hitting the wall it’s attached to.

 

“Shit.” Hope stands in front of Josie, her eyes wide, overwhelmed by the orange flames dancing around her friend.

 

As if scared by her own reflection in Hope’s eyes, Josie falters, the mad expression on her face vanishes and is replaced by a look of fear. The flames immediately extinguish, darkening the room again, letting the lamp in the corner resume its job as the only light.

 

“Hope, I …” Josie starts, but words fail her too. Her voice trembles, but she tries again, “The Merge… it’s...”

 

Hope rushes forward, silencing Josie’s attempt at explain by wrapping her up in her arms. She grabs her tightly, suffocating Josie’s frustration with her body and choking the thoughts in her head, “You don’t have to say anything. I’ve got you now.”

 

She grabs Josie a bit tighter, letting her sink into her grip, just like Lizzie had done for her only a few days ago.

 

Hope’s heart beat resembles a pre-wolf rhythm, but she wills her own discomfort aside. Instead she focuses on the warmth radiating of the girl she’s holding, the temperature is concerning to say the least, but Hope tells herself that it’s okay if it’s going down and not up. A minute passes before Hope gently tugs herself away, keeping her hands placed carefully on Josie’s shoulders as she scans her features.

 

Josie stares back, allowing herself to get lost, if only for a second or two. She flinches when Hope brings a hand up, tentatively swiping away a wet streak on her face. It brings her back two days. Her brain unwillingly replaces Hope's image with the girl who left her.

 

Her gut churns at the thought, she had been so stupid, letting her slip away. She recalls the hint of a smile on the girl’s lips when she told her she loved her. She recalls the silent weeping of her eyes when she forced herself to leave, they lingered just long enough to tell Josie that she didn’t want to go, but she didn’t have a choice, not at that point anyways. It makes her so frustrated, that she had her right there, she could have stopped her, if she had just listened to her before. Josie slaps herself, thinking of how cruel she was.

 

And then she looks at Hope, looking back at her, as composed as possible after witnessing what could have just been another disaster at the hands of a Saltzman twin, “Sorry.” Is all she can muster.

 

Hope quirks her head to the side, as if surprised by the apology, “Don’t be.”

 

“I lost control.”

 

“But you didn’t.”

 

“Only because you walked in.” Josie shifts her gaze to the side.

 

Hope rescinds her hands from their resting place, and places them on her own hips, “It doesn’t matter how you didn’t burn the school down, as long as you didn’t burn the school down.”

 

Josie snaps her eyes back up to her counter-part’s, “She just let me hate her.”

 

Hope processes for a second, figuring out who Josie is referring to until the pieces fit right and furrows her brow at the conclusion. “Didn’t she ruin your life for a whole year?”

 

“Yes, but it she was just trying to make me fight for whats coming. I’m so dumb for not seeing it before!”

 

“Woah, slow down there, not about to let you heat up again, Johnny Storm. What are you supposed to be fighting?”

 

“Have you ever heard of the Merge?”


	2. Truth Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a few days. Work is wack and I'm preparing for a new puppy to be coming home to us soon!!! 
> 
> Anywho. This chapter is mostly exposition, but I promise we are getting to the good stuff. Just trying to set up the players right now and where we are heading.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and enjoy!

“This is asinine!” Lizzie, pushing herself up from a sitting position, flails her arms in disgust. Her blond waves bounce around her, emphasizing her astonishment.

 

Alaric mirrors her movement, standing parallel to his daughter from behind his desk. He braces his weight against the cluttered surface, his fingers struggling to grip the wood as mounds of files and books obstruct them, “I’m sorry.” He attempts to meet Lizzie’s frosty gaze, but the cold sways him back. He hangs his head instead.

 

“So, that’s it?” Josie growls from her chair, sitting perfectly still beside her sister, elbows firmly planted in Cherrywood. Her hard expression leaks like propane squeaking through its tank and the man across from her is holding a match.

 

Alaric’s ears twitch at the cruel tone coming from his typically empathetic offspring, but his eyes stay cast on the headache below him.

 

Lizzie pinches her nose tightly, baffled by Alaric’s submissive approach, “Are we supposed to just wait for the Carpathia to sail our way? Is one of us going to freeze into a popsicle and sink to the ocean floor? No offence, Dad _,_ but _I_ am not about to be the Jack of this story.”

 

“ _Neither of us_ , are going to be the Jack of this story.” Josie challenges, cracking towards her sister and meeting her stare for the first time since entering the room.

 

They linger for a beat, allowing the air to grow thick between them. The force between them skewers toxic energy. It’s combustible, the strength of both witches, converting into these invisible waves. The pulse exponentially, drawing on harbored thoughts and impulses that finally have a chance to breath. Danger lies within the current.

 

"I want you both to be Rose in this situation." Alaric states awkwardly, the analogy not coming off his tongue right. He picks his head up and both girls to snap their attention to him. The fury from the past moment comes down to a simmer as they wait for Alaric's next words, "That's why your mother has been over in Europe." He says the last part with a mild wince.

 

Josie rolls her head back at the revelation, “So Mom has known this whole time too, and has been lying with you?” She spits the words at him, letting abhorrence speckle the space in front of her.

 

“Yes… well no… we weren’t trying to lie, we were doing it to protect you!” Alaric pleads his case, but it falls on dead ears.

 

“You know what,” Lizzie starts, unfolding her arms and backing up towards the door, “I had this hope that we might have some cool family secret and that one day you would tell us that Kendall Jenner is actually a part of our coven and has just been hiding it this whole time. But no. We just have a cannibalistic twin curse that will ruin our lives. Awesome. Thanks magic, once again, you suck.” She looks up and raises palms up to the ceiling, pseudo-praising the unresponsive _magic_.

 

“Lizzie that's not…” Her father tries once more only to be interrupted.

 

“Don’t.” Josie commands, “Lizzie’s right, this isn’t right, none of this is okay. Were you going to tell when we turned twenty-two?” She stands up, faking a pep in her step and putting a smile on her face, “‘Happy birthday sweeties, the Gemini are sponsoring this year’s celebration! One of you gets to try your favorite flavor of succubus and suck all the life and magic out of your twin!’” She drops the smile and turns on her heel with a whip, “Not going to happen.” She turns in stride and reaches for the door, pulling it open and leaving behind her shell-shocked father.

 

Lizzie smiles quietly at her sister’s antics and quickly follows her out the door. She lets her hells snap as she goes, letting her anger and frustration show with each dent her heel makes in the creaky floors.

 

The door closes behind them with a satisfying thud, sufficiently ending the torrid conversation, and opening up the capacity to process. As they make it a solid distance from the office, the clouded responses begin to clarify into complete thoughts. The two walk in silence for a briefly letting their thoughts run rampant, leaving no space for anymore conversation, their mouths finally shut, a hard feat to accomplish around the Saltzman siblings.

 

They turn the corner that leads to their bedroom. The halls quiet, eerily reminiscent of a wake. Only a few students a meandering about, books in hand, going about their nights, oblivious to the crisis going on with their two classmates.

 

As they step deeper into the hallway, Lizzie stretches a gangly arm out, connecting with Josie’s right shoulder and gently spinning her around, “Hey,” she says with a delicacy that takes her sister off guard.

 

Josie gestures to the hand on her body with the nod of her head and looks up to meet Lizzie.

 

The taller of the two, looks down, but softly, seeking answers from her twins darkened expression, gaging her headspace. She inhales carefully, knowing her sister needs to mimic her before speaking. When she feels the slight rise of Josie’s shoulder, followed by it falling back into place she finally continues, “We’ll figure this out. Together.”

 

At Lizzie’s words, Josie visibly shrinks. Her uptight façade fading only remotely, but it’s a start. She isn’t used to Lizzie’s camaraderie, but is thankful for it now, “Lizzie, what are we going to do?” She begs the question, knowing she won’t have an answer, but asking it nonetheless, because.. what else can they do now?

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“We need to get answers.” She states the obvious, with a hint of finality, intentionally contradicting her somber mentality.

 

Whoosh. A figure pulls up to them faster than the snap of a finger, shaking the hair on both girl’s shoulders, causing Josie to tuck a strand behind her ear, confused.

 

When the blur settles, it’s none other than Hope, standing before them, bright eyed and ready for something. Much like the night before, her chest rises and falls dramatically, as if she’s been trying to catch up to the two Saltzman girls. She takes a second to examine the exchange she has so suddenly inteupted. She quirks a threaded brow and Lizzies occupied hand, clearly not used to seeing her affection.

 

Lizzie slowly slides her hand back to her side, realizing how out of character it is. Under the pressure of maintaining her head honcho status, she straightens her back, making herself taller still.

 

Josie looks at the girl, bewildered at how she has taken her by surprise for the second time in less than twenty-four hours.

 

Recognizing the fuss she is causing… er… adding to, she decides to say her piece, “We’re going to Europe.” She says, confidence oozing off her as she strikes a power pose.

 

Josie and Lizzie exchange a look before sending it back to Hope, “Huh?” The ask in unison.

 

“I was listening to your conversation with Alaric…” She begins explaining.

 

“You what!?” Lizzie shouts.

 

Hope, reels back, offended, “Okay whoa, hold up.” She waves her hand in front of her, orchestrating Lizzie to listen, “Your dad basically confirmed there are leads out there, and I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Caroline isn’t the only one whose gone over-seas to try to find a way around this Gemini issue… Europe is our best shot.”

 

Josie take ponders Hope’s conclusion, squinting her eyes while she focuses on the logic behind it, “Okay, I get Mom is there looking, but who else wou…”

 

Whoosh. Another blur whips in front of them, stopping briskly besides Hope. As soon as the motion stills, M.G stands there, a wide grin on his face, carrying four stuffed backpacks, two to a hand effortlessly flexing his supernatural strength.

 

“Frickin Vamps.” Lizzie grumbles, looking over M.G until she notices something, “Is that my Vera Bradly bag? Were you in my room!?” She squeals.

 

Josie shoots a knowing look at Hope, scolding her silently for telling M.G about the Merge… and apparently, the new plan.

 

Hope shrugs in response, meekly apologizing.

 

 M.G ignores the exchange, ready for business, “You thought your crazy witch ex was going to leave her girl here like that?” He asks, as if offended he had to. A laugh can’t be contained as he thinks about the lacking connection by Josie, “Penelope left to find the loophole. And we’re going to help her.”

 

Josie waits. She waits for the ball to drop and for M.G to say he’s kidding. But it never drops, just like his smile. He looks back at her, unwavering, not letting her eyes fall.

 

Desperate for an out, something to take her away from flash of heat the sings through her body, she finds the complexly blue eyes of Hope. They dig into her, reading her emotions like a thermostat in summer, tracking the heat waves rising. She’s wants to know if Josie can handle it, if she can go there.

 

She glances back at Lizzie, whose run through the scenarios herself. Her folded stance and lack of utter outcry are enough to tell she knows there is no other way.

 

And Josie knows it too. They need to go. They need to go to Belgium. The need to go to Penelope.

 

“Shit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ty ty ty for reading this far. I hope you liked the chapter! The gang is getting together and its going to be a bumpyyyy ride. 
> 
> I promise Penelope is on the horizon and we gunna get some of the fun shiz goin.
> 
> Let me know what you think, your comments motivate me to write more :)
> 
> Peace and Love!


	3. What it Was

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback time. Thats all I got to say about this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wanted to upload a bit so we can finally see Penelope. Cuz like, we need her in our lives. Its a flashback, so I know its not as good as having legit interactions in the now, but that just because the story has a bit more delayed gratification if you know what I mean ;)
> 
> Hopefully this takes the edge off though!!
> 
> Enjoy!

**Flashback**

_As the clock strikes quarter of six, Josie lays across a tussled duvet. Propped up at the foot of the bed by her elbows, she leans her jowls into the palm of her left hand, while leaving the right to scroll through the yellowed pages below her. Hours have ticked by and her palm has slowly pushed up her full cheek, nearly reaching her eye. Although reading has become more difficult, as one eye is forced to a sliver, it doesn’t outweigh the comfort that keeps her firmly planted in her position. So, she uses her unobstructed eye to scan the chapters that have captured her and hidden her from the rest of the school._

_Lifting her fingers to slide another page over, she pauses, her mind warped out of the content she’s been stuck in, as her ears perk at the sound of a knock. She unsticks the heel of her hand from its spot on her face, pulling at skin as it pops free, so she can brace herself against the soft surface of her comforter._

_“Come i... rrgh.” A groggy voice crack prevents her from finishing the sentence. She places a hand on her chest, offended by the gross sound that just came out. Clearing her throat, she tries again, “Come in!”_

_Without hesitation, the door opens with a flamboyant swing, gracefully widening to reveal a certain smirky witch, with an arm outstretched dramatically at the top of the door, holding it in its position and allowing her to step into the frame. She struts through, letting her hand fall to her hip, eyes glowing playfully, “Hey, Jojo.” She swoons to the girl across from her._

_Josie attempts to swallow a smile, but is thwarted by a wicked grin that takes over, pulling the corners of her lips against her will. Her eyes dance as they track the girl before her, skipping over to her sanctuary, “Penelope.” She speaks her name as if she’s scolding a puppy, “What did you do?”_

_Ignoring the question, Penelope slides over to the bed, wedging a spot for herself on top of the covers and forcing the sleepy girl into a sitting position. She nuzzles her way into Josie’s side, sitting at a slight angle. Her position is cleverly construed so she can study Josie’s features as thoroughly as she had the pages of the book that is now cast aside._

_As if not being able to keep herself away for long, she absentmindedly brings a hand up, ghosting Josie’s cheek as she wraps her slender fingers around a strand of hair. She twirls it once on her way behind the girl’s ear, securing it at the end her jawline and under the back of her earing. She lets her hand come to a natural rest on the side of Josie’s face, gently running a thumb across the crease residing just beneath her cheek bone, “You have sleep lines.” She states adoringly, still not answering the previous question._

_Josie leans into Penelope’s hand, allowing the familiar shape to soothe her into a more awake state of consciousness. She forgets her inquiry for just a second, “It’s from my hand. I… hey,” but her sharp mind never forgets for long, “You still didn’t tell me why you have an extra pep in your step.” She raises a brow at the witch cuddled into her, lifting her head to look more pointedly at her._

_Penelope’s hand slides down to the base of Josie’s neck, sending a welcomed shiver down her spine, “Can’t I just be happy to see my girlfriend?” She replies coyly before planting a feathery kiss where the ‘sleep lines’ are starting to fade._

_“You’re always happy to see me.” Josie counters while blushing slightly under the touch of Penelope’s lips on her skin._

_“Exactly.” The amused girl smiles defiantly, calling check-mate._

_Pleading now against her clever witch of girlfriend, Josie wraps her arms around her, hooking them behind her back and pulling herself into the crook of her neck, “Penelopeeee.” She lets out a muffled whine, “Tell meeeeee.”_

_Penelope twitches as Josie’s breath corrals all the nerves in her body, “Babe, that tickles!” She laughs through the plea to make her stop, but as Josie continues to blow cool air onto her exposed skin, she caves, “Okay, okay.” She desperately gives._

_Pleased with herself, Josie reels back, keeping her arms where they are, but pulling her head back a mere few inches so she can watch Penelope’s admission._

_“I may or may not have cast a Looking-spell on Lizzie at dinner.” She admits, flinching as she says so, knowing how Josie might react to her playground antics._

_Josie, realizing the relative harmlessness of the action, questions why such a simple act would make the normally mature girl she's wrapped around so giddy, “Who did you have it cast to?” She asks, maybe finding the answer to her mental inquisition._

_Before she can answer, Penelope lets out a cackle as she reimagines what she did, “Jed.”_

_“Pen, no!”_

_“Jo, you should have seen it, I’ve never seen the macho alpha look so uncomfortable in my life. He didn’t say anything to her, and she just kept eating her brussel sprouts!” She chokes on the mention of the meek vegetable._

_Josie pauses, watching her girlfriend erupt in laughter at the mild prank, letting her lips curve upward as the girl’s exaltedness wafts over to her, “You know,” She faux-warns, “Lizzie is going to come at me for that.”_

_Penelope finishes out her last laugh as she calms a bit. Her bright eyes fall onto Josie’s, sparkling with endearment. She scans her briefly, moving forward just slightly._

_Josie recognizes the move, and leans in as well, bringing her forehead to touch Penelope’s. As they connect, a wave of solitude pulses through her body. Her little ball of chaos, so soft and so calming, just for her._

_And with a dashing twist of sincerity and playfulness she says, “I would never let anyone hurt you Jojo, not even your demon twin.”_

 

**End Flashback**

 

 “Are you ready for this?” The careful tone of Hope brings Josie back.

 

They stand before a large double door, engraved with seal of ancient witches, etched into the seemingly ancient wood. They’ve made it to Belgium and the doors that bar them are their last obstacle from getting into the renowned school they've hunted down.

 

Josie takes a deep breath, and looks to her friend, “I have to be.” She says as reaches out and knocks on the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading! Let me know if you are enjoying this! I love hearing what you have to say. It helps me a lot when I sit down to write. 
> 
> I can't wait to get in the thick of the action here, because thats for sure the direction the next part is going in.
> 
> Peace and love!


	4. Travel Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang is searching for Penelope and figures the all witch school is their best shot. But just when they think they've found it, they stumble on some heavy magic instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter in a while. I have a new Siberian Husky puppy that takes up like all my time. However! The grind don't stop and we got a story to write!! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy. I have a longer chapter already written that I'll probs upload before my hockey game tonight :) Peace and love!

Splintering wood crumbles beneath Josie's knuckles as she raps them against the worn surface. The taps bellow behind the carefully designed crest in a distant echo. Reverberating back through Josie's hand, the sound strikes back, tumbling its way down her arm and dancing around the empty pit in her stomach. Unsettled, Josie flicks her hand as if ridding it of stray water, wicking away the grimness creeping its way to her core. Rolling her shoulders back, Josie glances over the vine covered brick that makes up the apparent deserted school, "This doesn't make any sense." She grumbles whilst examining the dead end.

 

Noticing the shake in her voice, Hope bumps her shoulder from her position on the limestone steps, "We must of just went to the wrong place, MG isn't exactly a cartographer, he could have easily had us take a wrong turn."

 

"Vampire hearing, Hope." MG deadpans from the peanut gallery behind them, grabbing the attention of the two girls up confronting the dark building. "I don't recall anyone else volunteering to take the reins on the Blair Witch Project." He winces at the name of the horror film, recalling unwelcomed memories of the night he watched it.

 

Lizzie cracks and eye at MG as he quivers, "You mean you didn't willingly walk us into the real-life inspiration behind the Haunting of Hill House?" She nearly spits the words out in aggravation, showing the nasty side of traveling for days on minimum food and sleep.

 

"Wha.. The Haunt…" MG puts a hand on his chest, offended, "The lady from that cabin said it was right past the 'withered well'" He raises his hands in air quotes, "Guess she just failed to tell us that the school was ditched circa fifty-years ago."

 

Josie, having heard enough, turns back around to face the problem in front of her, "Ugh, why wouldn't Mom just tell us where the school was?" She grimaces at her mother's antics.

 

Lizzie’s ears twitch at the comment, she teeters in debate from her spot by MG, sway quietly on her toes. She waits a beat before swallowing her own frustration, shoving it down her throat to keep it poking out in cruel words as they normally do. The inside of her palms itch slightly as she wills herself to be a supportive sister for once. Tucking a nail into her own skin to relieve the discomfort, she refocuses. A breath later and she struts up to meet Josie up on the steps, leaving MG to quietly trail a few steps behind. Carefully ushering Hope to her left, she approaches Josie, throwing a look at her brooding twin quickly before turning to face the door with her. She pauses awkwardly, fixing words before using them, "She didn't want us to come here you know. Probably for the best, she doesn't want you  _distracting_ Penelope while she extracts every piece of lead or clue imagined from this place."

 

A ghost of a smile travels the length of Josie's lips and she picks up her eyes to meet her twin, a noticeable light shining through them. She opens her mouth to say something, hopeful maybe? But a thought strikes her instead, snapping her back to reality. The glimmer in her eye evaporates and the ghostly smile is all but dead, "It doesn't look like anyone has done anything here for the last century.

 

Lizzie frowns, a flash of disappointment reaching her pale complexion. She steels herself as she clenches her jaw, retracting the unwanted emotion.

 

"Ohmigosh wait!" Hope nearly screams, sending a pair of crows scrambling from their spot on a rotting Alder and forcing a jump out of the Saltzmans. Ignoring the dagger sent by the two's glare, she continues, "That’s exactly what they want you to think. If I were an ancient renowned school of witches, I wouldn't want just anyone to stumble into me.”

 

"No offense Hope, but I don't think anyone wants to just stumble into you." Lizzie sneers with disgust.

 

"Ew, Lizzie... I… not the point…. The point is... These are witches we are talking about, if the school really is here..." She theorizes with an ear to ear grin, raising her eyebrows to clue in the girls.

 

Josie perks up, looking at Hope with a mix of adoration and gratitude for thinking it through when she couldn't, "Then they would have spelled the place!"

 

The two girls smile at each other from opposite sides of Lizzie, bobbing up and down on the balls of their feet.

 

Lizzie groans in response, "Okay Shaggy and Scooby, if there _is_ a spell here how the are we going to lift it?"

 

The three look between themselves, as if they’ve reached another dead end.

 

MG, scoffs behind them as if a frog has literally caught in his throat, “Um… why don’t you try magic? I know it’s crazy, I mean you’re witches right…” He fakes inquisition with the shrug of his shoulders, smirking innocently when he sees the girls ‘oh’ reactions.

 

Without another word, the three turn to face the door, expressions flat, ready. Hope shuffles her way to the middle of the group, gracefully brushing Lizzie’s arm on her way. Lizzie lets her eyes fall momentarily, scanning her forearm as if to check for a mark Hope may have left behind before fixing her gaze back on the crest in front of her. As soon as Hope reaches her position, allowing her to be siphoned by the twins, they connect hands. Sharing strength in their stance, they draw on the energy betwixt the trio.

 

In unison, Josie and Lizzie raise their free hands, reaching them out palm first to touch the worn wood. Carefully, they lay them to rest on the feverishly warm surface. The two close their eyes, squinting as they pull on the cloaked magic in front of them. Butterflies swirl within them as the heat begins to intensify and the flush wave confirms Hope’s theory. Something big is here.

 

Hands glowing now, the sisters begin to labor, Josie needing to step a foot forward as a brace and Lizzie leaning heavier on her perched hand. Lizzie scowls at the energy trying to pull back, fighting its reveal while Josie squeezes Hope’s hand tightly, trying to guide the magic through their joined fingers. Hope stiffens, accepting the glowing witchcraft and allowing it to snake its way through her body.

 

The effort takes a toll however, and Hope’s, other, abilities begin to scratch at the surface of her skin. She forces her eyes shut, knowing gold strands are dancing around them. Her body quivers and her bones quake, shifting out of the human form they’re locked into.

 

“Guyyyys, I don’t think Hope can take all that jazz.” MG calls over the glowing spectacle.

 

Peaking over through one eye, Josie witnesses the painful resistance corralling her friend, “You got this Hope, just a little more.” She encourages the she-wolf, knowing fully that her friend won’t be listening.

 

To Josie’s surprise, Hope grits out a nod through sharpened fangs, bearing the last of the spell as white light flashes over all of them, whiting out their vision and staggering the trio apart.

 

Losing her footing, Hope stumbles into Josie, who reacts at the last second, grabbing the closest arm she can find and pulling the tri-bred in. Hope shivers in the warm embrace, growling away the transformation.

 

MG rushes forward, not seeing well himself, but enough to lunge forward and keep Lizzie from taking one step too many off the raised steps. He gently braces her back with soft hands, not letting her momentum carry her off the edge. He holds her there a minute more while the light begins to fade.

As the foggy beams settle they do not disappoint, replacing the murky woods and abandoned school house is a sunny-side white and gold palace that looks straight out of the Great Gatsby. The castle like structure is large enough to house the royal family, the green property stretching beyond where the group can see. The rotting trees are nowhere to be found, and the distant cawing of crows is eliminated by the delicate coos of morning doves.

 

Lizzie breaks the silent jaw-gaping, “Do you think they’re taking any transfers?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be posted today! Sorry for the delay again. Love you all, thanks for reading :)


	5. Where is She?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally get some Penelope ish. Lets get her home!!!

“You know, you could have just called ahead and arranged a tour for you.” A woman, mid-forties sits across a desk that looks as though it were just removed from the oval office. She adjusts her glasses on her nose, leaving behind a small dent on the bridge as she looks up with forest green eyes.

 

The quad look amongst each other, silently realizing how extravagant their entrance must have seemed.

 

“I’ll admit, once we noticed you were out there, we wanted to see how much potential you had. Are you here looking for a transfer? I think the other students would benefit significantly from observing Gemini twins, especially at this age.” She leans forward while speaking, as if studying Josie and Lizzie herself.

 

Josie clears her throat and tilts her head to the side, confused by the blatant mention of the Gemini curse, “We aren’t here to transf…” She starts, only to be cut off by her sister.

 

“We’d love to look around!” The blonde puts on her best enthusiastic face, pulling it off well, but not fooling Hope who looks on suspiciously.

 

The woman smiles widely, “Great!” She snaps her fingers violently, creating a poof of smoke besides her. The grey smog fades quickly, revealing another student. The girl looks vaguely annoyed at the summoning, but not phased, she’s done this before. “Stacy here will show you around.” The woman gestures towards the Heather wannabe.

 

The crew looks to Stacy, who looks back at them… waiting… then she rolls her eyes and marches forward towards a large double door to their left. The four awkwardly make pace behind her, only to be stopped once more.

 

“Oh, umm not you two.” She points between Hope and MG with a slender finger. MG and Hope snap their attention to the woman, standing rigid in anticipation of an explanation, “We only allow witches to walk the halls of this school. No vampires allowed.” She announces with a taught smirk.

 

Hope turns to object, “But I am a witch, my mo…”

 

“We have a strict no hybrid policy.”

 

“Bu...”

 

“No exceptions!” She all but yells at Hope. Shaking her head quietly, she gathers herself, “Sorry about that, we’ve just had some… issues in the past. You can wait in the lounge outside the back door.”

 

MG speeds to Hopes side, refusing to let her fight back, putting an arm around her shoulders and nodding to the doorway to the lounge. Hope rolls her shoulders lightly, frustration brewing at segregation present, but she follows MG’s lead regardless, tucking her tail and walking forward.

 

Josie shoots the rejected two an apologetic farewell before scornfully returning to their new guide. The girl shoves her way through the double doors with a telekinetic push, never actually touching the wood.

 

The double doors swing with an elegant whoosh. Stacy steps through, one hand on her hip while another flings her ponytail behind her shoulder. Her eyes are trained on the hall before her as she walks through, hardly glancing back to make sure Josie and Lizzie are following.

 

"So, this is the East Wing, where like, all of the Admissions offices are and the Head Mistress' office. If you ever need to see her, don't. If she needs you she'll port you there herself." She grumbles the last bit, scowling at the antics of the Headmistress.

 

As she explains further, going on about the 'application process' Josie's eyes wander about the hall, taking in the grand scale of it all. The walls are lined with windows that fill them from top to bottom, letting in natural light and showing off the tulip garden that spans over hundreds of square feet, only ending at a gazeebo that’s fit for a wedding.

 

Further from the offices now, that halls start to peel away, giving way for a larger corridor that files into a student lounge. The marble floor fades at a two-step drop that plops them onto a deep cherry wood finish. Students mingle about, chatting on loveseats while others sit at four seater tables, books at hand, studying casually. The students don no uniform, but rather, they follow a dress code, many pull off pastels colors and cardigans, while other prefer sleek dress pants with collared shirts.

 

Josie, unable to hold her tongue any longer, blurts the question, "Do you know Penelope Park? She transferred here not too long ago." She attempts to sound casual, slouching her shoulders back as she asks, but her taught vocals give away her inherent desperation.

 

Lizzie shoots her a look, raising her brows at her sister and jutting her chin forward. The classic, "you couldn't just wait", look.

 

Two paces ahead of then, Stacy slows, her blasé strut recoiling into a stiff poise. She flicks around, sending her hair flying back. She looks at Josie, squinted, jaw tight, "Penelope…" She draws the name out, looking upward as if trying to conjure up her memory, "Park, oh yeah." She says with extra pep, loosening her stance again and turning back around, "She doesn't go here anymore." She announces casually, a hint of secrecy about the non-committal answer.

 

Opening her mouth to ask a follow up, Josie starts, but is cut off by Lizzie, jumping in as if knowing she'll break, "When you say she like, 'doesn't go here anymore' does that mean she like, left?" She asks awkwardly, pulling her best nonchalant tone, even raising her hands up to feign innocence.

 

Josie closes her eyes, willing her ears to tell her Lizzie did not just ask that.

 

A light chuckle comes from the tour guide ahead, "Usually 'doesn't go here' implies she left, so yes." She doesn't even try to hide the snark to her response.

 

Defeated, the two take the loss and turn the corner, following Stacy's lead. The hall here has an endless number of doors each with their own unique number, they must have reached the dorm rooms. The hall is quieter than the lounge. A couple is practicing a basic levitation spell, while others are commuting from the area with books in hand and a bag over their shoulder.

 

One of them walks directly in front of Josie, catching her off guard with her head down. Josie snaps her head up, panicked and concerned that she didn't see the young girl, no older that twelve, walk in front of her. Screeching her heels to a stop. Narrowly avoiding a collision, she starts to apologize, "I am so sorry, I wasn't paying attention." She pleads at the little girl, who looks up at her with curious brown eyes, tilting her head to one side and one brow raised.

 

The girl stares on, a second comes and goes. Josie shifts a bit under the scrutiny. A beat more and the girl speaks, "Valarie has her." She stares blankly, brown eyes boring into Josie's, emotionless, looking through the older girl.

 

Josie, stares back, heart skipping while her eyes examine the girl's expression, digging for an explanation.

 

"Halle!" Stacy breaks the exchange, chastising the girl, who doesn't waver from her spot. Stacy rolls her eyes and looks to Josie, "Sorry, her father was like part of a clairvoyant coven or something, annoying, right?" She laughs half-heartedly.

 

Twisting her lips into a tiny smile, Josie gives her best laugh back, not doing too great as her stomach flips when the little girl, Halle, speaks again.

 

"Room one-fourteen " She says, blinking once before breaking the lock she has on Josie.

 

"Oh, my gosh, can you not scare away the only relevant Gemini to walk through our doors…" She grips her hips firmly, looking down on the girl.

 

The girl gives Stacy a quick look before turning heel and running away, giggling back down the hall, leaving Josie to look after her until she turns the corner.

 

"She is such a weirdo." Stacy grits her teeth, facing the row of dorms, "Anywayyyys. These are the dorms, if you decide to go ditch that decrepit place, you'll live in one of these." She jaunts forward, waving her hand around, gesturing to the closed off bedrooms.

 

They scroll their way down a bit further, Josie failing to keep up, feet dragging as her mind swirls, stuck on the words of the young girl.

 

Lizzie, keeping close tabs on her behavior, slows herself to meet Josie's stride. She jostles her distracted sibling with her elbow, rattling her from her trance.

 

Josie lazily brings her head up to look at Lizzie who nods in the direction of dorms they have reached. Tracking her sister’s eyes, they land on the numbers, '116' and next to it '115'. Understanding now, Josie perks up, glancing at the yawning guide ahead of them.

 

"I got this." Lizzie whispers by Josie's ear, blowing a stray hair with her breath. Without hesitation Lizzie prances up to the bored girl, careful to position herself in front of her, keeping the attention on her, "Hey, can you tell me about this fountain thing over here." Lizzie asks, silently looking back to Josie to give her the go ahead when Stacy starts a spiel about the magic that runs through it the stone décor in the far corner.

 

Checking one last time over her shoulder, ensuring no one is watching her, Josie slips away, using snake like movements to sneak over to the room donned '114' by a gold label. Josie stands less than a foot away from the frame, eyes roaming over the mocha colored oak. An ache takes home in her chest as she looks on, scanning for anything unusual. Her peripherals pick up on a slight discoloring around the handle. Its darker than the rest, there is almost a charcoal tint to it. The darkness splays out in a gradient span as if originating from the knob. It's faint, like it was cleaned up but unable to be erased.

 

She absentmindedly reaches a hand out at a snail’s pace, bpm rising by the millisecond. The milling sound of the school disappears and the only noise is the rapid fire beneath the medallion she wears. Nervously, she continues, fingers barely encountering the metal. As soon as her skin grazes the material its like a burning wave of electricity shoots up her arm, making her recoil immediately, arm convulsing. She gasps outwardly, unable to keep in the sudden pain. It’s like a viper bit her hand and venom is making its way up her body. The sensation is strangely like that of the cloaking spell from before.

 

The pain is gone as soon as it came and Josie lets out a heavy breath, eyes wide in shock.

 

"What happened here?" She breathes out harshly.

 

Poof. Out of the literal blue cloud that appears from in front of the door, the Head Mistress stands. Her brow is furrowed, and her eyes angry, "Its come to my attention that we are actually not accepting applications now. You'll have to go back to that rotting school of yours." She rips into Josie with cruelty, yet standing rigidly in front of her.

 

"But, I..Wha.." Josie tries, but is stopped when the woman snaps her fingers. Poof. Black surrounds Josie as she feels a wicked pull sending her flying backwards. Within a second her vision comes back, the same as her footing, only to find that she's back on the doorstep they started at, looking at a locked door.

 

Enraged, Josie bangs on the door, "Let me in you freaking jerks! What did you do?" She ignores the cries from her hands as she continues to hit the solid wall. As silence ensues, Josie skin heats up. Each whack from her fists is encourages the tension rising within her, amplifying with each thump. She can feel it gaining on her, but she welcomes it, letting the flame from her core blaze from ashes into a small fire.

 

"Wooah, woah, woah, hot stuff, you got to chill." MG flashes between Josie and the door, reaching up and grabbing onto Josie's wrists, preventing her from causing any more damage. He meets her eyes desperately trying to reach her with his own, but he is only met by flames. His attention shifts to the hands that are currently restraining his friend as they begin to sizzle, a feint cloud of steam coming from them. They seer the skin of his palms, "Ah!" He yelps as he lets go, closing his palms and hiding them in his armpits.

 

The sound of his cry reaches Josie and she shakes her head thoroughly, backing away from her position and off of the steps, "I am so sorry, MG, I didn't mean.." She pleads, a tear forming.

 

MG grin and bears a smile, "Its all good, vamp healing, remember?" He says, lifting his palms up and facing them forward, showcasing the burnt skin cleverly patching itself back up, "Good as new." He waves with jazz hands before putting his hands back in his pocket.

 

"I take it, it didn't go so great?" Hope pipes up, stepping in from behind Josie, frowning in concern as she sees the distraught aura of her friend.

 

Poof. "Nope!" Lizzie snarls as she appears from a cloud of her own, "It did not go well at all." She concludes while fixing her hair which has gone every which direction.

 

"Did you find Penelope?" Hope asks, giving Lizzie time to dust herself off.

 

Finishing up on her legs, Lizzie bitterly responds, "No, we just got this girl from the Shining say something about Valarie taking her, random right? Who is Valarie you might ask? No fricking clue. And then she's all like room blah blah blah, and Josie struts on over and nearly gets her arm blown off just by touching the damn handle. Then this crazy old lady just whooshes us out of there and now my hair…"

 

"Hold up, did you say Valarie?" Hope pauses Lizzie's rant, short of breath now and eyes big.

 

"Do you know a Valarie?" Josie asks, taking a step closer to the group, questioning the fearful girl.

 

Hope swallows, looking at the grass beneath her feet, "Yeah I think I do."

 

Josie, calmer now with a possible answer on the way, places a hand on Hope's shoulder, making the girl look back up at her, "Who is she?"

 

"If it’s who I think it is...I don't know what she wants with Penelope, but she's in real danger."

 

Josie visibly crumbles at Hope's words, gripping her shoulder tighter, nails digging in slightly as she tries to control her emotions, "Just tell us who she is. Please." She begs Hope for more information.

 

Hope looks hard into Josie, apologizing with her eyes in advance, trying to soothe her way into the news with a look, but failing to do so. Ripping off the band aid, she breaks it, "Valarie Tulle. One of the last Heretics."

 

 

\-------

 

**Elsewhere:**

 

Darkness swells over the stone cell. Only a single wall torch lights the area, glimmering dully over the small space's contents. A wisp of the flame lights up a face, beads of sweat slip off, dripping onto the cold floor in a concoction of salt and blood, mixing with the warm current of red coming from an open wound above an eye. The tiny pool gathers at the foot of a metal chair, static in the middle of the room, occupied by a rope tied prisoner.

 

"I apologize for my primitive manners, but I'm afraid it’s the only way to get the attention of your parents." A cool, old English voice carols in the dead air.

 

Stepping into the orange light is a woman, with hair that matches the flames. She stands strongly as she reaches out with a slender pale hand and brushes away a crimson droplet seeping from her captors brow, on its way to a wary eye.

 

The rouge substance collects on her skin, staining her pasty tone. Casually, she brings up her hand and sucks the area dry on her thumb, savoring the flavor with closed eyes, black veins jutting out, "Not bad." She taunts through spiked teeth.

 

"I already told you," A broken voice cracks back, "I told you where my mother is." The voice trembles, dehydrated and exhausted.

 

A predatory rumble forms a devilish laugh from the red-head, "Darling, I am not interested in your adoptive family, I need your true parents."

 

"I.. I.. Don't know what you're talking about you crazy… hag." The insult is coughed out.

 

Amused, the Heretic smirks, "Oh Penelope. I know you don't. But that’s what witch craft is for." She bears her fangs in a toothy grin, reaching now with a pointed finger, aiming at the younger girl’s temple.

 

"No please!" She begs, voice shivering as the woman's finger nears, tears forming now at the base of her bagged eyes.

 

The woman ignores her plea, "Sorry sweetheart, I need them." She adds on a more serious note, lowering her brow in concentration as she places her finger on the side of Penelope's head. Not so much as flinching when the screams follow, echoing through the dark.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading, yous guys are seriously the best. Mind my poor writing lolz and comment if you want more/ just your thoughts. Love to hear from you guys.


	6. Valarie where art thou?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favorite four-some has figured out how to find Penelope, but will they be able to reach her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our fantastic friends found a way! But its not as clear as they had hoped, read on to see the ish they gotta deal with to get Josie's girl!!! Thanks and advance :) Much love from this chick XO

Red flows from the tip of an iron blade, plopping one drop at a time onto a browning page. The deep color seeps into the ancient script, characterized in black ink with an unrecognizable language.

 

Silence hums in the cool space, swirling around the stained paper and the two pairs of hands, clutching one another, six inches above it. Concentrated, they remain still, the only movement between them being the blood-cells racing on tracks made of veins. (more)

 

The quiet is sprung as a sloppy whisper cuts into it, "Is it working?" Lizzie whisper-yells from her position five-feet away from the spell mongering.

 

Rocking back and forth in irritation, Josie wrinkles her face, jutting her jaw as she bites her tongue. Squeezing the calm hands intertwined with her own, she bares down.

 

Opposite from her, Hope sits, plastered to the dirt and leaves beneath her, eyes hard and closed, "It will." She answers, hardly twitching as she opens her mouth.

 

"Okay, because I was thinking, you used a rat when you did this to find Landon, and this time you used a squirrel. Is it a coincidence that nothing is happening?" Lizzie raises her palms up in a shrug.

 

MG darts a hand out, moving for the first time since he caught the squirrel, smothering Lizzies mouth and preventing her from saying anything more, "Let them do the ritual." He mutters quietly through the side of his mouth.

 

Lizzie all but spits MG's hand out, flipping her head about to create a gap. Looking on at him after, curling her lip in a minor snarl, prepping to say something, but snapping her lips back shut when chanting ensues.

 

Back by the soft candle fire, Hope and Josie begin a series of spell-words. Eyes still closed, they recall them from their previous attempt when Landon had gone missing back at school. The phrases come slow at first, dusting off with each utterance, building with each repetition. As they get louder, the forest around them blurs, wind rattling fallen leafs and swooshing them about.

 

The girls remain stoic through the chants only to be reanimated when Hope opens her eyes with a pop, noticing a change in her tone, she casts a worried eye to her partner. Sensing Josie's tapered voice, she recalls the pain she felt when receiving visions of Landon's whereabouts months before.

 

Josie seizes up in Hope's hands, flinching jaggedly while she grits out another cycle. Growing with concern, Hope falls out of sync, her thoughts falling on Josie's state more than the words coming out of her mouth, "Josie are you alright? What do you see?" The questions tumble off her tongue as she leans forward, encroaching over the spell board.

 

Josie clamps her eyes shut, clenching her teeth in a desperate attempt to steal a few more seconds out of the spell, perspiring lightly through the waning moments before flying up and out of her seat. Retracting her limbs violently from her friend, she jumps back. Recklessly spinning around, she looks left, then right, trying to gather her bearings in the dawn suppressed forest.

 

"She's here and… and... hurt. She's hurt." Josie growls, still scanning the endless space in front of her, rabidly walking back and forth.

 

MG springs into action, calmly, but firmly bringing his arms down on Josie's shoulders, inhibiting her movement, much like when they were in front of the school, "Hey, it’s okay. Where is here?" He asks, soothing his voice intentionally, listening to Josie's rapid fire heartbeat.

 

Josie struggles under the weight of MG's stone arms, "Trees, the forest. North, we have to go north."

 

Standing by them now, Hope reaches out, gently slipping her fingertips into Josie's hair, cupping her left ear with her own hand and guiding her brown eyes to meet her hazel ones. After the initial tug to avoid contact, Josie lets her eyes rest on Hope's.

 

"We are going to go north." Hope states in a hushed, yet definite tone. When she feels Josie nod, she continues, "We are going to get Penelope back, and then light up the bitch that took her." She quirks a brow Josie, as if asking if she's on board.

 

Cooling now, Josie eases her posture, her back slouching under MG's hold. Realizing that Josie has calmed down, MG releases her, brushing the tops of her shoulders with a half-smile, "Sorry about that, Jo." MG apologizes softly and is forgiven by the shallow nod from the girl in front of him.

 

"Revenge squad assemble!" Lizzie shouts, punching a fist in the air while marching up to the other three teens. She smiles with exhilaration, ready to finally do something with purpose.

 

The three look back at her, shifting glances, not sure how to react to the sudden determination. But after a second, equally determined smiles cross the board. The crew turns heel, leaving the burnt-out candles and bloodied page behind, lead by Josie who leads with a fiery strut, ready to bring her rage north.

 

\------------------------------------------

 

"Are we there yet" Lizzie wines, stopping in her tracks, resting her weight on her knees and grabbing the attention of MG a couple paces ahead of her.

 

He looks back at her, hanging his head slightly, "Lizzie we've been walking for an hour. We spent the whole day walking yesterday, we can get through this." He points to her inconsistent lack of stamina.

 

Pausing further up the way, Hope and Josie turn. Expressions reading the same, but only Josie speaks up, "It can't be too far. I can feel it. We're getting closer to her." She pleas with a twinge of desperation, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead.

 

Lizzie groans, "I know you guys were close, but really this whole spiritual connection shtick is getting old." She complains, forcing her legs to take another step forward.

 

Josie sighs in relief seeing her sister continue if only for the next few moments. Turning back north, she continues for three steps before being stopped.

 

"Hold up!" MG whisper shouts, freezing in his place with his hands out in a stop signal, getting the other three to mimic him. As the rustling of leaves quiets as the quadrant stills, MG tilts his head to the side so his ear is facing the western part of the forest. He listens intently, eye brows shifting as he explores the sounds ahead of him, "Footsteps, lots of them, coming straight for us. And quickly." He warns, backing out of his stature to stand beside Lizzie. He remains crouched, preparing for what may come.

 

Responding with action, Lizzie hastens her pace to stand beside the vampire, bending her knees slightly, "May I?" She suggests, looking down at her hand hovering above MG's forearm and looking back to his open eyes.

 

"Go for it." He answers, lifting his arm up to meet her shaking palm, letting the feint glow of his supernatural power make its way to Lizzie. They hold it for a second, enough time for three short breaths before the glow fades again.

 

Boosted with magic, Lizzie stands taller, hands out, ready if needed.

 

"Is it Valarie?" Hope calls out to MG, stepping in stride with Josie, making their way to the battle stance crew.

 

Eyes trained at the mini clearing due west, MG lets a low growl escape as the rustling gets louder, enough so the others can hear as well, ignoring the question.

 

Through the trees a pack of figures emerge, shadows at first, but as they come into focus it becomes clear Valarie is not among them. The group approaches, close to each other, getting closer to the anxious crew waiting to see what they are up against, assuming they aren't friendlies. The figures get bigger and it becomes clear what they are, standing low to the ground with four legs a piece comes a pack of wolves out of the dark. They come into the light, letting the dawn illuminate their bulky fur coats as they remain crouched, snarling as they halt fifty feet away the tourists in the clearing.

 

"This can't be good." Josie groans, still next to Hope, raising her hands up protectively, anticipating a fight.

 

Out from behind the pack emerges another figure, taller than the rest as he has just two feet. The dark-haired man steps up, arms folded across his shirtless chest, "We smelt you from a mile away." He says, smiling at the four.

 

"Creep." Lizzie spits at him, only to get a golden eye staring back at her with hatred.

 

The man stands, four wolves at his back, "Listen, we don't want any trouble." He says, shrugging his shoulders and pitching his voice up. One of the wolves shuffles behind him, not taking kindly to the promise of no violence, "You're just, y’know, trespassing on our territory. So, we’re going to need you to leave. Now." He demands the last word with aggression.

 

"We’re uhhh, Sorry… you see, we got…um… lost.?” Josie clambers over an excuse. “We're new transfer students at one of the local schools and these woods get so dark so fast." Josie bats her eyes at the brooding werewolf. He looks skeptical, but not totally unconvinced. "If you could just point us in the right direction we'll be out of your hair… err... fur?" She says with a flattering smile.

 

The wolf-man looks at her through squinted eyes, checking the expressions of each group member separately, trying to sniff out any mischief. He relaxes for a breath, arms unfolding and eyes dimming when suddenly he flairs his nostrils once. His eyes open wide and sharp teeth poke through his lips, "You almost had me there Squirt, but why didn't you start by telling me you had a vampire with you?" He barks at them through a clenched jaw, " He’s one of the abominations that murdered half our pack. I’d say next time leave him behind, but there won’t be a next time."

 

"I'm not even from this country, man." MG pleads.

 

Golden eyes scorn him, "Doesn't matter." He finalizes with a leap, arms outstretched as they transform into furry legs. His spread fingers morph into jagged claws and they come down inches away from MG's head.

 

Aimed with precision, they fall short as Lizzie steps in the way pushing MG to the side and stumbling forward, making the mad wolf miss. Tumbling after her heroics, Lizzie catches her ankle between two rocks. The fragile ligaments twist under her weight, churning in directions they aren’t meant to go. "AH!" She lets out a shout as the pain shoots up her leg.

 

"Lizzie!" MG calls, pale in expression as he comprehends the transpired events. He reaches down and picks up the felled blonde, effortlessly carrying her in his arms.

 

Lizzie grimaces in pain, "I just don't want Hope to have to save your ass again if you get bit.” She attempts a joke, but falls flat, off her game while she processes the pain.

 

"Speaking of!" Josie breaks there moment, raising her hand up and casting them forward, pushing an invisible wall towards the pack, now charging forward, snapping their jaws as they hurdle for MG. Josie opens her palms up, letting an unseen force sweep the forest floor before her, whipping up leaves and branches and tossing the five wolves back, flailing in the air before crashing roughly on the dirt and rocks with satisfying yelps. "Make use of that vamp speed and get Lizzie and yourself out of here. Head back to the city, we'll hold them off."

 

MG looks at Josie, not wanting to part from the fight he indirectly caused, but then looks back down at Lizzie whom he is still holding, "Alright, just don't die!" He says before whooshing out, leaving nothing but a flicker of dust behind.

 

The wolves, regathering now, turn south to follow MG and Lizzie, but only make it to the next row of trees as a large oak comes crashing down in front of them, blocking their path. Their paws come to a screeching stop, digging claws into the pasty mud to prevent themselves from getting crushed. Confused, the leader whips its head back to the remaining girls, a deep growl bubbling in his throat.

 

Its Hope this time, with an arm still outstretched, finishing a telekinetic sweep of the largest tree she could find, "Yeah, I don't think so buddy." She taunts the Alpha.

 

The wolf shakes his mane, ridding it of debris as his fellow mates fall in line behind him, staring on at the two girls with a sinister snarl.

 

"This might be a good time to y'know, get on the same level as them if you know what I mean?" Josie suggest to Hope, taking a step closer so they are shoulder to shoulder.

 

"It doesn't work that way." Hope whispers to Josie, not wanting the others to hear their make-shift planning.

 

Josie sucks in air, running through the options in her head as the four-legged foes eliminate the space between them, "Well, times up." She says hastily as she mutters a spell and a line of fire scorches its way between the two parties, forcing the pack to jump back once again and lighting up the dimly lit area.

 

The were-wolves look for a way around, not easily finding one, but as the seconds pass, the fire begins to fade and they step closer, confidently, realizing that the fire is putting itself out.

 

"Let me guess, you’re out of spell juice?" Hope says, noticing the waning flame with a flicker of fear.

 

"Nailed it. Run!" Josie yells, grabbing Hopes wrist and leading them out of the clearing and into the tree-line.

 

The two make a break deeper into the forest, letting the shadows of the trees loom over them as day tries to break above. They swat stray branches and kick away rocks and any other obstacle. They get about a thirty second head start before the howls ring free, singing through the air and stinging the ears of the two runaways. The cries get louder, but the only sound to be heard is the heavy breathing. Hitching unevenly the breaths come, in broken waves they struggle to draw in air, suffocating under the weight of machine-gun hearts struggling for preservation.

 

Onward they run, slowly losing steam as they swerve around a vine covered trunk, but slamming their heels into the ground as a stone wall prevents them from going any further. It’s a jagged cliff, too high to jump and too steep to climb. Snakelike plants cover the dead-end, stemming from the behemoth tree behind them and crawling over the stone structure.

 

Hope and Josie freeze, looking around for another exit, but finding none, the only way out is back. The girls spin around, bracing themselves for the pack again, which can only be a few hundred feet away. The green covered tree ahead inhibits their ability to see what is coming, so the listen instead, to the pattering of paws against the ground and barks that follow. But then it stops. A few mere yelps travel the depths of the forest, echoing against the stone wall. And then silence.

 

The quiet stirs for a moment and Josie steps forward, "They must have given up." She concludes with a hush, but lets her words slip into a falter, knowing that’s not likely the case.

 

"Yeah, for some reason I don't think that’s the case." Hope warns, checking the area frantically while remaining in a crouched stance.

 

Josie continues towards where they came from, distancing herself from the stone obstacle, "What if its…" She starts wondering, standing loosely as she comes out of battle mode.

 

Hope lurches forward as Josie continues back towards where they ran from, "Josie wait!" She's too late though.

 

In one harsh motion the snake like plants that cover the ground constrict, wrapping around Josie legs and yanking her up into the air by them.  Once ten feet up, two more vines latch onto her wrists, finding their way to her from the stationed tree they have been hiding behind and slamming her back into the rough wood and sending a truck load of aches throughout her body. "Owwww." She moans from her new position.

 

"Shit, Josie!" Hope panics from her spot on the ground, she scans for a solution but again comes up empty, "I'm going to get you out of... Ah!" Her promise disintegrates as more vines dart out and snatch her up as well, twisting her around in the air until all her limbs are tied up and carelessly thrashing her onto the bark inches away from Josie.

 

Josie turns her head to face her captivity mate, she lets her eyes wander, checking for any significant wounds. She doesn't find any, but she does land her eyes on an unnatural development on the tri-breed's neck; her veins protrude off her skin, emanating a purple glow that pulses as it creeps its way up from her collarbone, "Oh, that can't be good." She deadpans and a sharp sting reaches her chest. She balls her hands into fists, willing the sting to subside, but it only does slightly as she becomes accustomed to it.

 

"If you are referring to the poison running through my body, rest assured, you've got it too." Hope responds through a clenched jaw, squinting through a pain of her own while examining Josie's matching marks, "How did we manage... Erg… to piss off… a fricking Treant. "

 

Josie looks on through shallow eyes, "Treant?" She asks incredulously.

 

"Living trees, like in Lord of the Rings?" Josie's expression remains. "No? Okay, well basically...ughhhh…" A harsh wave surges as the poison seeps its way higher, "We are going to die from these toxins if we don't get out. So, can you burn these fuckers off us?"

 

"I already… grrrr…" She pauses over a pinch in her jugular, "Told you, I don't have anything left, can't you?" She asks in return.

 

"You know my spells aren't as strong as yours."

 

"Errrrg… there has to be some way out of this." Josie’s neck is almost completely covered, purple and black cuts across her pale skin all the way up to her jawline.

 

Hopes eyes pop open as an idea sparks, but when she looks over to her poisoned companion she ducks her head, "I think I have an idea."

 

"Are you going to wait till we're… gah! Dead??"

 

Fumbling over her words, Hope finally makes her suggestion, "Uhh… Remember when you were about to be eaten by a giant spider when you were caught in a room sized web?" She spits out bashfully.

 

Josie looks to her friend who is a mere nose length away, close enough to feel her exasperated breathing. She searches her eyes as she recalls the memory, shooting her eye brows up as she realizes what she is insinuating, "What?! Ewe, no! I am not making out with you!" She wrinkles her nose in exaggerated disgust.

 

"Did you just 'ewe' the thought of kissing me to save our lives?" She yells, jaw dropped with offense. "Besides… I can take it." She sticks her nose in the air at the last bit, recovering some of her pride.

 

Josie rolls her eyes, "I am a siphoner, not a succubus!" Josie rattles about in her place, tugging at her ankles and wrists to see just how tied up she is. When they restraints don't budge, she lets out a deep sigh. Relaxing for a moment before looking back to her friend who looks back at her with her head tilted down, surprisingly vulnerable. Then she notices the poison continuing to map its way up Hope's veins, seeping to the back of her ear and further. The girl winces as the substance wreaks havoc on her bloodstream, sending Josie into a tizzy. "Fuck it." She claims, craning her neck over and leaning into Hope with her chin up, pressing their lips together carefully.

 

Taken by surprise at first, Hope rears back, but remembers quickly that it was her idea in the first place and pushes forward. It doesn't take long for the red glow of magic to brighten the girls faces, shining a spotlight on them during the unconventional transfer. Hope digs deeper as the magic in her body fights against the toxins. The dark matter clogs the way to Josie, but Hope won't let it hold her back. Driving now, Hope opens herself up, letting Josie in and its then that she feels it. Her magic boils, burning on the inside and taking her breath with it. Its drains her, sucking her dry, depleting her strength and power. It becomes too much and Hope tenses as her body begins to reject the process and stars start to dance around her head.

 

Josie senses her friends struggles and immediately breaks the connection, pulling her head back and inhaling sharply. She takes in Hopes pale features and uses that as her queue, firing up her hands until they are completely engulfed in flames. The vines around her wrists singe and burn, green turning to brown and then black as they fall off her skin, leaving behind a black and blue ring. Still pinned by her ankles, she clamps her recently freed hands together. She whispers spell words into her thumbs as the branches around her grow unsteady. Lowering her hands to chest height, a ball of fire swirls from within them. The red and orange flame grows exponentially in her hands, making her expand them and give it room. She wields it as it becomes large enough to engulf a small mammal, lifting it above her head and throwing it at the base of the trunk.

 

The fire explodes at the bottom and incinerates the ground all the way to the roots. A shrill cry is let out by the burning tree and its vines come loose. They flail in the air before shriveling into nothing but ash and the fifty-foot tree crashes in a burst of flames, crumbling into coals.

 

In dramatic fashion, the girls tumble to the ground, ass first, not softened by nothing but warm grass. With a good hard thump, they are somewhatt safe, laying for a moment in the blackened earth as the poison begins to slip its way from their veins.

 

"Whoa." Utters Josie from her spot on the ground.

 

"Yeah… whoa." Hope replies, forcing herself into a sitting position and flipping her tussled hair behind her shoulder.

 

Josie props herself up as well, "I will never look at trees the same way again."

 

Hope nods in agreement, still low in energy as she lets her eyes wander the space. With the sun poking through now that the murder tree has fallen, it sheds light where it hadn't before, leading Hopes eyes onto something particular, "Josie… look" She points up through the new clearing with a shaky finger.

 

In the distance a lone house sits, made of logs and stone, with nothing but a mild garden at the forefront.

 

Josie springs to her feet, practically dancing and all but sings to herself when she remembers what she saw in the locator spell, "Penelope."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooooo, so obvi we gunna get Penelope next chapter so stay tuned :))) And thanks for reading as always. Leave comments and let me know what you think, it helps motivate me to get my shit together and write! Love you guys and keep being awesome!


	7. How Does That Work?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope and Josie make it to the cabin and have balls large enough to explore it. Inside they find more than they bargained for. Can Josie make it to Penelope before Valarie gets what she wants? And what they heck does she actually want???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while. Long story short, me and my gf broke up so I've been a fun sucking hoe and haven't written for the beautiful people that you are. Forgive me and my lack of awesomeness. Please enjoy this chapter, we finally get some Penelope action up in here ;)

*Tap* *tap*, the crisp thud of Josie's knuckles carries across the splintered surface of a closed door. Listening for a response, Josie pauses, bringing her ear to rest on badgered wood. A muffled hum reverbs against the dirt smeared skin, tickling it as Josie pulls back. She brings a finger up, tracing a path along her cartilage with a finger-tip where the vibrations echo their way off her body, "She's here." As she speaks she slides her hand back to the beaten door, ignoring the stray chips of oak embedding themselves in her palm and bringing it to a full stop and the center. With eyes shut, she lets her magic flow through from her chest and into the cup of her hand. The pink fade sparks under the shadow of her hand before she forces the heel of it forward, thrusting her wrist ahead and snapping the door into a dozen pieces with a ferocious crack, littering the cabin's entrance with debris.

"So, was the knock just a curtesy?" Hope jousts, vaguely smiling at the mess Josie's made.

Josie raises a brow at the pile and then turns her head to Hope, twisting the side of her lips up, "Thought it would make a good gesture." She says, turning back to the inside of the cabin, a quant getaway decorated with stale comfort.

The two step through the empty frame, careful to go over the mulch below them, tip-toeing into the three-room layout, careful to be quiet despite the miniature explosion Josie created. Apart from the foyer, a living room resides where an old sofa and love seat collect dust at the center. The duo make their way through, noting anything out of place, but only coming up with an empty tea cup a little too far from the cabinet in the corner.

Floorboards creek under their weight as they close in on a door at the edge of the six by four kitchen. They pass a row of stairs on their way, glancing up to the level they haven’t yet explored.

Hope gives a curious nod, casting her ear in the direction of the upward railings. She bites the inside of her cheek, closing her eyes as she focuses, pausing for any kind of sign that there is something or someone there, “Hey, I’m going to check upstairs. It doesn’t look like anyone is home, but maybe I can find some clues.” She states, rounding the corner of the antique woodwork with a foot ready at the first step.

Josie turns to look over her shoulder, opening her mouth in a silent protest, but refraining after a thin train of logic crosses her mind, “Okay. Be safe.” She commands with concern, leaving her eyes trained on her friend’s for a beat longer, letting their warmth grant her motivation to turn back to the door in front of her.

Tossing back one last look, Hope nods, before making her way up the stairs and into more uncharted territory.

Dragging her fingers across the tattered wallpaper of the kitchen, Josie step forward, approaching the cracked doorknob, “And what will we find behind door number two?” She whispers sarcastically, outstretching her fingers as they clasp around the rough mahogany, “Ah!” She lets out a shrill screech, rescinding her hand from the icy torment of a masked spell.

It only takes a moment for Josie to comprehend her actions before she has her hand firmly grasped around the needle inducing surface, constricting until her knuckles turn white. The thumping in her chest amplifies above the pain as the mysterious nature of the door becomes ambiguously hopeful. Ambient rouge swells in the palm of Josie’s hand, enriching the pink of her cheeks as blood rushes throughout her body. It’s a symptom of her clenching her teeth, gritting out the sharp knife like sensation jabbing at her pulse. It works though, the cold subsides and the knob shakes loose, jiggling in place until it turns.

Josie relieves a weak smile. Working against a stomach of emotions, she pulls the door open. Surprisingly it is the only thing in the house that doesn’t creek, a curious feature the makes Josie’s heart leap. Someone has been here recently.

The ajar space shows off another layer to the quant house. Leading to another floor is a row of stone stairs walled off by concrete. The basement is lit with by a series of wall torches, an upgrade from the fixtures on the main level. Flames caress the walls as the sole decoration in the bland area, whipping about with red and orange waves, another signal that at least one person has been here within the past few hours.

Shivering despite the newfound heat source, Josie shakes off the thought of Valarie being within the same vicinity. If she really is what Hope says she is, then she is no one to be messed with. But, the scare tactic doesn’t prevent her from pushing forward. Instead, she plants a foot firm on the first step down, testing the surface below her heel before proceeding. Keeping a wary eye open for anything dangerous, Josie continues as if possessed. Her movements find no hesitation after her initial exposition, on foot after the next tapping through the medieval themed bottom floor.

Through the narrow hall, the lit path leads Josie to a four by four clearing and on the right an open doorway sits. A single flicker of light emanates from the gaping space, left ajar. The sight is conspicuous, a casualty of carelessness or intentionally left to temp the likes of trespassers.

Neither phases Josie in the slightest, she nearly snaps her legs when she turns towards the open entrance. Her hair flicks over her shoulder in the wind she creates when she switches to a sprint, desperately pushing against the ground with her feet to move faster. She closes in on the uncovered room, a rush of heat smacking her forehead as the panic she had been suppressing crashes through the barrier it was held behind. Suddenly she’s short of breath and stumbling forward, unbalanced and falling forward. She flies an arm out; bracing herself against the doorframe she’s just barely reached. Wincing under the pain in the heel of her hand, she picks her head up, immediately scanning the room before her.

Lit by one wall torch, the concrete room bares home to but one chair and a single occupant tied and bloodied.

“Penelope!” Josie breathes out in exasperated recognition as she lurches forward, propelling herself out of her position by the open door.

Dazed and confused, the battered witch cranes her head up from its hanging stance, cracking open a swollen eye, “No.” She rejects with broken defiance. She shakes her head in disbelieve and skepticism as Josie comes barreling down in front of her, kneeling behind her and untying the rope knots bruising the captive.

Josie nearly collapses over the broken girl, doing her best to not lean on her completely, she gets as close as coming around to face her friend, kneeling over her with as much delicacy as possible while lacking composure. She brings up her hands, struggling to keep them still as she lands them on either side of Penelope’s face. She carefully rests her fingers around the harsh a few lines of incisions which were undoubtedly created at the hands of a blade, “What did she do to you?” She asks in a whisper, bringing her forehead within of inch of her wounded friend.

Closing her one open eye, Penelope relishes the touch of Josie’s fingertips on her skin. She lets a breath out as she leans into it, ignoring the sting when the cut on her jaw is tugged open, “If this is another…hallucination…or trick…I…swear I’ll…” She threatens breathlessly while her chest shivers under her own words.

Tilting her forehead and moving in, Josie brings their two heads together with a gentle push, “Pen it’s me. It’s okay; I’m going to get you out of here.” She promises while resisting the urge to crush the other girl in a hug, instead settling for an urgent squeeze with her hands.

“No, you’re just… trying to b…br…break me.” Penelope struggles with the phrase while bringing up her freshly untied hands up and clasping them around Josie’s wrists in a meek protest.

Josie throws words out the window and lets her thumbs fall to Penelope’s jawline, tracing it as if it’s a long-lost relic. She lets one fall beneath Penelope’s chin and brings her index finger into a small hook at the base of it, tilting it up so their lips are less than a centimeter apart. Josie steals a breath before pressing their lips together in an overdue kiss.

Frozen in place, it takes Penelope a second to respond as the remainder of her guard collapses under pressure of Josie’s lips. Stirring up the last bit of energy in her body, she pushes back, deepening their connection and letting a hot wave of elation wash over her, sending feathers to her stomach. A hungry desire grows between them, but Penelope is forced to pull due to the need for literal air.

Penelope looks up through opened eyes and takes in the girl above her. The defeated gaze glows faintly with a reanimated sparkle. It’s a look long since removed, but brought back by the sight of the worried Gemini girl inspecting her with rapid eyes, “Jojo.” Penelope utters, almost in a question as she still reels from her previous tortures. Still looking up in wonder, the normally feisty witch lets an uncharacteristic tear slip. Its slides down her face, leaving a crystalized trail through dirt and dried blood.

“Yeah, that’s me. I’m here. I’m right here.” Josie whispers, wiping away the stray tear from Penelope’s face while holding back her own. “Let’s get out of this place.” She gently compels her companion, standing back up to take a better position to support the beaten brunette. Slowly, she wraps an arm around her back and shoulders, propping her up on the chair and hooking her hand to help pry Penelope to her feet.

Penelope wrinkles the side of Josie’s shirt as she uses it for leverage, pulling herself on her feet as much as she can. Luckily nothing with a critical function has been severely injured throughout the days spent here. Most of the pain comes from various contusions, created to draw attention.

Once Penelope is safely on her feet, Josie begins to guide them towards the open entrance, “Why would Valarie want to hurt you like this?” She asks, not really seeking an answer, but throwing it out nonetheless.

“Valarie!” Penelope digs her heels into the ground and pops her eyes open wide, “No, no, no. Jo, you have to go.” She panics, resisting Josie’s help, trying to get back to her seat.

Josie furrows her brow in confusion, “I’m not leaving you. Valarie isn’t here, we can go together.” She holds onto Penelope tightly, not willing to let her suffer anymore.

Penelope, unable to fight, settles for the only explanation she can muster, “She never leaves for long.”

On cue, the tip tapping of heels echoes throughout the hall space outside of the captive room followed by a dull scuffing sound. Penelope struggles to get back, huddling to stand behind Josie’s rear foot while the angry girl in front of her calls upon any courage lingering in her system.

“You should have listened to your girlfriend, Sweetheart.” From around the corner, a tall, pale redhead struts into the orange light, a sadistic smirk smearing her face. Rounding the corner a second later by force of the redhead’s grips is Hope, dragging behind, white in the face and scant of energy. “Unfortunately, I can’t risk keeping you both around.” She grins wickedly, getting a rise out of Penelope who shakes away the aching in her side and steps forward, clenching her fists.

Hope looks up through tired eyes recognizing Josie, in the middle of trouble, with a frown. She trains her eyes next to her friend and they perk up, poking the last bit liveliness left in the teen, “Penelope, thank God.” She gushes, attempting a step forward, only to be held back violently by the Heretic.

Penelope lets a muffled smile slip, reluctantly revealing her joy in seeing the tri-bred, but keeping a stern look at the hand digging into the Hope’s skin, “They have nothing to do with this, leave them alone.” Penelope warns through gritted teeth.

“Loose ends Honey. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you learn not to leave any.” She lectures with an annoying wrinkle of her nose.

“What happened?” Josie asks Hope while reaching back so Penelope can hold onto her hand with both of her own, garnering a reassuring squeeze.

Hope looks at the older woman, a grimace to her look, “She siphoned everything I have.”

Valarie laughs, “Yes, I did and it was quite nice actually,” she says, leaning closer to the shorter girl. “I even toyed with the idea of keeping you around just for a taste every once and a while. But then I thought the better of it.” She grossly admits, getting a little too close to Hope’s ear for comfort.

“Okay listen, you sick freak. I’ve had it up to here,” Josie points to the top of her head space, “with your grade A bullshit. If you lay another finger on Hope or Penelope, I will burn this whole house down.” She guts out the threat, “I’ve done it before, and I won’t hesitate to do it again.” She looks to Hope and back to the Valarie who is in the middle of an eye roll.

Looking between the trio, Valarie shrugs her shoulders, “Look, it’s nothing personal, your scrumptious gal pal here just so happens to be the missing piece to a puzzle I’ve long been trying to solve.”

Penelope growls from her spot, “Your past boo, is six feet under for a reason. He’s probably happy to be away from your nagging ginger-ass. Let the man rest in peace.” She snarls, gripping tighter to Josie when a dizzy spell hits her.

“Hey, take it easy.” Josie whispers, taking her free hand and tucking a stray hair behind Penelope’s ear.

Valarie snaps a stare full of daggers at the plucky witch, “and to think before I was regretting the day I’d finally have to kill you. I think may actually savor it. I’ll be sure to take my time.”

The light in the room flickers out for a moment before igniting following a strong gust of wind carrying through the space and out the door. The women’s hair flutters in the breeze before coming to a stiff halt, leaving the four bewildered and staring between each other, wondering who did what.

“The next time you utter a threat towards her; I will personally remove your tongue from your mouth and singe your disgustedly dry lips together for the rest of eternity before throwing you in a grave with a splintered stake in your heart.” A gruff English accent carries through the room in the direction the wind came from.

The four snap their attention to the back of the room, where seemingly out of thin air two figures stand. On the left a growling brunette with wavy hair and wild green eyes stands, one hand open palmed and ready to cast. The other hand holds tightly to the woman on the right; a staggeringly beautiful blond who bears her teeth as if she’s been deprived for of a proper meal for years.

“And if you do touch as much as one more of her devilishly perfect strands of hair, I will personally drain every ounce of blood from your mangled corpse, leaving all but one drop for you to rot in hell with.” The blond spits in contradiction to her alluring English voice, adding to the brunettes previous entry speech.

Josie, Hope and Penelope stare on, not a clue passing through their three collective minds and exchange glances with each other.

Valarie snickers at the entrance through salty chuffs, “I see you both haven’t lost your charm.”

“I see you haven’t gained any.” The brunette chides, stepping forward in unison with her counterpart inching closer to Josie and Penelope’s location near the chair.

Penelope turns around in time for the blonde to stretch out a careful hand, ghosting the side of the younger witches face, examining the scrapes and bruises from a distance with knitted brows and green eyes that glimmer, “You’ve grown to be so beautiful.”

Surprisingly, the urge to jump back doesn’t come to Penelope and she lets the stranger look at her up close, hardly flinching when the brunette joins in, exchanging her scowl for sad smile, “How dare she meddle with a girl deserving nothing short royalty.”

Josie stiffens by Penelope’s side, transfixed by the immediate fawning the pair has for the baffled witch, “I’m confused.” Josie lets out while Penelope slowly nods in agreement, yet still glued to the women studying her.

Valarie twitches at the sight and tosses Hope in from to the pile gathered in the middle of the room with a snort. Propelling Hope towards the incomprehensive witches, letting the tri-bred scramble by Josie’s side and place a hand on her back, “Ladies.” Valarie grabs their attention, “Meet Nora and Mary Louise.” She gestures to the mystery duo. “Penelope’s mothers.”

The trio looks up at the two who nod in sync, confirming the bizarre confession.

Hope gasps, speaking the thought of the other two beside her, “No fucking way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT DO YOU THINK? Crazy I know. If you are curious as to who the heck the beautiful ladies are, look no further than the Vampire Diaries season 7. They are an actual couple on the show that suffered at the hands of the Kill Your Gays trope. Boooooooo. So here they are, alive and well because I can't take a L for shiz. Writing is cool like that, legit brought the characters back to life, let goooo. 
> 
> Also if you know any ladies that can mend a broken heart lemme know because my scotch tape isn't doing the trick. 
> 
> Ty ty ty for reading you freaking rock.


	8. Heretics in Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nora and Mary Louise explain a little bit about who they are/ where they have been for the better of two decades. While storytelling Valarie gets fed up and tries to expedite her plans. CHAOS ENSUES, kinda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter for you all. Please read and enjoy. This one is a bit slower cuz we gots some explaining to do. Sorry if I make no sense here. I tried :) Ilysm, btw this is a great outlet when ur heartbroken. Writing through the pain. Let there be love!

"Can someone please tell me what is going on?" Josie asks, an incredulous flare exploding in her eyes while she waves her arms, gathering the attention of the wide array of witches in the room.

Penelope remains still, sinking back into Josie's body right behind her as the intensely fixated English women in front refuse to take their sights off her. The injured girl lets Josie's warmth swarm her, gracing her with comfort in the unanticipated large reunion.

"I heard about you two." Hope whispers, still leaning on Josie from behind, using her as an anchor as much as Penelope is. Earning the attention of both pairs of hazel-green eyes, she continues, "You're the Heretics that sacrificed their lives to destroy the Phoenix Stone….  Alaric told me the story. But how are you…?"

Nora grimaces, curling her upper lip towards the floor, remembering the day in distaste, "Magic can do a number of wondrous things…if you have the will to do it." She adds ominously with the quirk of a brow. Uncurling her back from hunching over Penelope, she stands. She lends one last look at the smaller girl, regretting the space between them with a subdued frown. "It’s what gave us you." She gives a humbling smile to Penelope, earnest and thankful, sending a shiver down the young girl's spine. Forcing herself to turn away, Nora reaches out and places a shaky hand on Mary Louise's shoulder, brushing her thumb against the tattered cloth beneath it, seeking encouragement in the subtlest of touches.

Mary Louise gives Penelope a mild nod, softening the intensity of her green stare before rising to stand by Nora, eyes transitioning into a scathing hex as they fix onto Valarie and shifting to a less heated scorn when they fall to Hope, who teeters between curiosity and confusion, "It trapped us that day. We were kept as compensation for the souls released when the Phoenix Stone turned to rubble and ash."

Josie scratches her head, rattling her brain for some form of logic, "If the stone was destroyed, how did you become trapped?" She shifts around before making eye contact with the blond, feeling smaller in the presence of the regally beautiful duo.

Tilting her head at the Josie's shyness, Mary Louise holds a smile before answering, "A vile huntress, Rayna had her spirit tethered to the stones power. It never truly died until she did." Mary Louise continues, spitting at the mention of the huntress. "She went on a killing spree, murdering all of the vampires who had been freed and when she was done, we were returned from the prison world.” She pauses for a beat, collecting herself on her way to the next part of the story, “When we got out we tried to start a family, to have you,” She steals a glance at Penelope, “but this… this troll…” She looks up through shadowed eyes at Valarie, “tried to take you from us."

Stepping forward from the door frame, Valarie coughs, drawing the ire of the group to herself, much to her satisfaction, "It was unnatural, the magic they used."

"Don't play martyr, Valarie." Nora growls, the bags under her eyes darkening, "You're jealously is driven by your own failure to birth a child, so you tried to murder ours before she had even taken her first breath."

Jutting a hand out, Valarie fires an invisible blast towards the callous brunette. The spell slams into Nora's chest, knocking her back and almost over. She's kept on her feet only at the effort of Mary Louise, who has a hold of her back.

"Continue this treachery and you won't have a hand to cast with." Mary Louise threatens, half focused as she brings Nora to her feet.

"Woah." Hope breaths out, more on edge at the use of the offensive spell, "You tried to kill an unborn child?" She asks in disgust, allowing Nora to recover.

Valarie scoffs, "Fortunately for you're pretty friend, we Gemini have a knack for placing premature children in the wombs of unwilling participants."

Mary Louise snaps attention away from her weakened partner and to the red headed foe, "You exaggerate to justify foul actions."

Josie pinches the bridge of her nose, focusing on the facts amidst the exchange of insults and trying to make sense of it all, "You're Gemini??" She asks, opening her eyes wide at the couple.

"Formerly." Nora winces, gritting out the feigned word, leaning into Mary Louise heavily.

Mary Louise continues on Nora's behalf, "We were cast out of the Gemini coven because of our inability to use magic of our own. We’re siphoners... sent away as outcasts… but redemption was on our horizon when Lily Salvatore turned us and the reason we were exiled became our most dangerous asset."

"Turned you? Like into vampires?” Josie asks, receiving a nod from Nora, who is still curled into Mary Louise. The confirmation sends the young student into a minor frenzy. She mulls over the supernatural duality, making a conclusion that leaves her in awe, “You’re hybrids with an unlimited amount of magic." Josie says with a wide jaw and a sparkle in her eyes, her love for knowledge shining through.

"I am as well. But sadly these love birds are much more useless than I." Valarie laughs at the weakened state of the two, "They haven't had blood in over a decade and those Shamans…” She stifles another chuckle, “well those Shamans pumped them full of vervain. It’s the only item on the menu over there." She smiles, confirming the two have been tortured for the better of fifteen years, "Me on the other hand, well, let’s just say my appetite has been temporarily satiated.” She looks at Hope while licking her lips and then looking back to the couple. “Perfectly timed, the young prodigy has given me a surplus in ammunition that I’ll need to do the ritual. The only thing left on the agenda, is for you to give me your lives so I can exchange them for another." She deadpans, raising her arm to cast another spell and opening her mouth to speak.

Before she can utter any phrase, Mary Louise beats her to it, "Silencious!" She waves a hand fluently at Valarie, wiping away her mouth so she can't speak, getting the red-head to furrow her brows in frustration.

Nora joins the defense, mustering up what she has left and throwing both hands forward with the force of her whole body. At the other end, Valarie is sent flying backwards and into the stone wall with a thud, temporarily keeping her from sending more spells their way.

"There is no time, Love." Nora steps towards Penelope, looking down at her with desperation and worry. "Mary Lou and I will hold off Valarie." She says, suddenly gripping her side in pain. She looks up to see the woman of the hour holding a hand out in claw form, directed at the paled mother.

On cue, Mary Louise casts back, flailing out a hand of her own and twisting it counter-clockwise. A rib of stone protrudes off the wall behind Valarie and stumbles out and over the woman's casting arm, successfully cutting it off from doing anything.

"What about you?" Penelope guts the question through a paper dry mouth, staring back at the wounded Heretics with a glow of warmth threatening to bubble over.

"We'll find you after; she needs the three of us. She can’t do the ritual without your presence." Mary Lou confirms through baited breath, placing a thumb under Penelope's dirtied chin, and brushing away one of the scuff marks.

Nora looks up to see the stone crackling over Valarie splitting down the middle with a glow, "Mare, we haven't got the time; we've got to get them out." She rushes the warning as a flame begins to form through the breaking stone.

Mary Louise nods and takes Nora's hand, "You two, grab on." She commands Hope and Josie, the reverb in her voice frightening the two girls into position as they scuffle over with haste. They spare a glance at one another, mixing apprehension with the acknowledgment that that they don't have any other options. It’s do or die with the limited amount of magic left between them. "Now!" Mary Louise growls as Valarie frees her hand, scowling with a ball of fire rising from her hand.

A bead of sweat drips down Josie's face as the flame grows exponentially in Valarie's grip. The fire glows in Josie's eyes, stilling her for a second as the image feel like a reflection of her. She briefly wonders if the Gemini curse will cause her to loose herself like this one day.

"Josie." Penelope pipes up, recognizing the distressed twin’s perturbed stance, "That's not you." She whispers, bringing Josie back to her with an outstretched hand.

Josie blinks once, shaking the image away and latching on to Penelope's bruised hand.

Having watched the exchange, Nora tilts her head, the red light pooling in her eyes as she observes the two's dynamic, "I trust you'll take care of her until we return." She states, her tone menacing, but only if for sport.

"You will not leave!" Valarie shouts, a ball of fire almost completely engulfing the room as she stands now, carrying the fire over her head with both hands, rage rippling through the flames as her anger takes over.

Nora and Mary Louise grab hold of the three girls, closing their eyes in focus. A feint glow rises from where their hands touch. The color intensifies to rouge as they pull magic from the lasting strands in the girls, pooling it together to use on one last spell. Their noses scrunch up tightly, their faces looking paler than when they first arrived. The only sounds left in the room are the short breaths sucking in as the crackling fire consumes the last of the oxygen in the room. Right as Valarie releases the flame, bearing it down on the group of five… it vanishes.

Everything vanishes in a swamp of darkness. The only sensation bolstering is a whirlwind of gravity pulling left then right and ultimately down before a splash of white is the only color left, casting a fog that slowly dissipates and lets color seep back through.

When the fog fades, Josie shakes her head, trying to expedite the process as greens and browns fill her vision again. The outline of trees beckon her eyes into clarity as she recognizes the forest around her, “They teleported us out of there.” She says in disbelief, racking her head around the kind of power and talent that must have taken.

“That’s insane!” Hope shouts meekly, lacking stamina as she steps back from Josie. She takes a moment to observe the space in front of her, shaking her head with feint amusement, “I have so many questions.”

“Same.” Penelope deadpans, gripping Josie’s arm and pulling herself up into a standing position, looming as tall as possible, “We have to go back and get them.” She gestures to the tree line ahead of them.

Josie gently wraps a hand around Penelope’s shoulder and tugs her so they are facing each other, “We can’t go back. None of us have any magic right now and you’re still hurt.” She gives the girl a light squeeze, a gesture that lets her know that she doesn’t want to lose her again.

Smiling softly at the concerned Gemini, Penelope lets out a breath, “I’m okay, Jojo.” She tilts her head in, touching her forehead to Josie’s, letting her weight lean on her. “I have you. That’s all I need.”

Hope coughs, “That’s a nice sentiment and all… but you look like shit.” Hope says with a wrinkled nose, getting the two companions to look her way, “Josie’s right. You need medical attention, and we’re liabilities right now. You’re par… err…those two Heretics will have our heads if we go back there. Why don’t we just do as they say?” She suggests.

“Because, I’m fi…y’owww!” Penelope begins to protest when a knife like pain jabs her side, nearly knocking her down in the process.

Josie holds the girl up, worry knitting her brows together, “Hospital. Now.” She grits, trying to keep Penelope on both of her feet.

“How about an infirmary?” A plucky voice hollers from behind them. The trio spins around to see MG on his way towards them, grinning from ear to ear as he closes in on his friends. Behind him is the vast school for witches they passed through before. The familiar castle like structure sticks out above the rest, residing where they left it and taunting the girls for not seeing it before. MG walks in front of it, shortening the gap between him and the girls. He looks between them, before landing on the battered witch being helped by Josie, “Penelope!” He exclaims, using his vamp speed to whirl his way right in front of the cut up girl, “Thank, goodness.” He wraps her up, careful not to use too much strength and hurt her. He smiles into her shoulder as he lets a deep sigh out, “School needs Penelope Park back. It’s boring without you, P.”

Penelope lets out a satisfied hum, “I missed you too, Big Dog.” She breathes out as the vampire loosens his grip, letting her stand on her own.

“Where is Lizzie?” Josie asks, a pace behind the two, still smiling at the brief reunion.

MG points back to the school as he makes his way to Hope. He gives her a shoulder hug which she gladly reciprocates as he explains Lizzie’s whereabouts, “She’s inside getting her ankle wrapped up. That crazy witch chick, the old one surprisingly spry looking one… you remember her?” He asks and Josie responds with a nod. “Yeah, well she said she felt responsible for the werewolves because apparently they’ve been causing problems…anyways… she said she could fix her up, but I have to wait outside. She let me check on her twenty minutes ago, she’s doing a lot better and I’m sure they can help you two as well.” He nods towards Hope and then Penelope, the two looking paler than snow.

“I’m not going back there, Valarie broke in kidnapped me in my dorm room. It’s not safe enough.” Penelope complains.

MG rolls his eyes, “Well, you don’t have a choice, because they have kick-ass medics.” He says, marching back to Penelope and sweeping her off her feet, literally. Just like he did when Lizzie twisted her leg. He doesn’t hesitate to sprint her over to the door, ignoring her yelp at the sudden movement. He turns back and winks at Josie when he reaches the door.

“You’re my hero.” She laughs at him, following his footsteps, albeit at a slower pace. She beckons Hope to follow, “Come on, it’s our best option.”

Hope catches up to the brunette, doubt scratching at her expression as they make it to the stone step in front, “They kicked me out last time, why should this be any different?” She asks, swaying in her spot as fatigue sets in once more.

“They kicked us all out, but still took care of Lizzie. Maybe they had a change of heart.” Josie suggest, her signature optimism setting back in now that Penelope is back. She gets a meek shrug as a response before turning to face the door.

They stand together beside MG who is still carrying Penelope, who acts like a cat, giving up on getting away as she limply allows herself to be whisked away, “Can I get down now?” She asks carelessly.

MG smiles down at his friend, placing her down carefully, one foot at a time, “Sure thing.” He says before knocking on large door they once blew open, “Excuse me! My other friends are here. One is your former student who was kidnapped. She really needs medical attention!!” He shouts into the wood, getting looks from the three girls at his side, “What?” He asks, offended by the stares, “It worked last time.”

Silence ensues for a beat and a beat more. A third and the door flies open, a gust of wind pushing the hair on their heads back with a whoosh. On the other side of the doorway stands the woman from before, staring at them through glasses, the suns reflection blocking our where exactly her eyes have landed. The sight unnerves the pack of kids. More silence follows as the tall woman looks down at them, “We will take them.” She says with a fruitful lack of emotion drying up the phrase.

The group breathes out collectively, smiling among themselves at the imminent aid.

“But you two stay.” She says suddenly with the snap of a finger.

“Wait what, I’m not leavi…” Josie’s message falls short as a cloud poofs into the air…again… and the door slams shut, forcing her to blink away the force of it. When the cloud disappears, a potent vacancy is left outside. MG and Josie are left starting between each other, Hope and Penelope notably absent.

“Well that’s different.” MG mumbles to himself, standing blankly at the closed door.

“That definitely isn’t good.” Josie worries, looking at the door and then back at MG, “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!! What do you think? Lemme know. Still love you all and hit me up if you hate where this is going or if you think its rockin. I've got BIG plans for the next chapter, its going to get HEATED. I just don't know if its in the way we all want ;)


	9. Trapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some bonding time for Hope and Penelope as they are locked in a cell together. Despite their differences they might be able to find some common ground after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI! Been a while, per usually lol my bad. I wrote half of this while I was on drugs for my wisdom teeth surgery so take that how you will ;) We explore Penelope and Hope's relationship in this chapter because they are two awesome people and who doesn't want to see how two awesome people will interact??? Anywho, I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!!!!!

"Are dungeons in boarding schools becoming a trope?" Hope asks, flicking away penny sized chunk of concrete with her outstretched foot.

She sits, planted on the ground with one knee tucked to her chest, the other straightened out with her back against a brick wall. Imperfect edges nest their way through her cotton shirt making her shift in discomfort. Through the tears in her pants, the cool surface of the stone flooring pokes through. Ignoring the shrill feeling, Hope uses a hand to rest her head on, supporting the stance with an elbow pressed into her right thigh. Short on energy, her normally alert eyes are closed. If not for the feint twitch in her left foot, she'd be mistaken for someone sleeping.

"I'm...tired… of cages." Penelope complains, each word being pushed out of her mouth with withered air evacuated from her lungs. Her back bends as if weighed down by a sack of flour, leaving just the small of her back pressed against steel pipes. The metal rods function as the sole obstacle between her and a secluded hall. The space is a distant relative of the prison room from Valarie's cabin. The principal difference being this hell hole has lights, ones that use electricity. Admittedly the mood is stifled by the lack of murky candles, but any change from the previous captivity is welcomed by Penelope. 

The space between both girls is palpable. Despite the circumstances, the lofty weight of their high school dispositions reigns supreme. A long sigh from Penelope echoes across the space between them. Only a few feet in length, it manages to feel like opposite sides of the Sahara. And it's just as dry. No longer in immediate danger, the adrenaline prompted relief that the Hope spared when seeing Penelope back at the cabin, has been irreverently stripped as the last few years of opposition at the Salvatore school snake their way into the atmosphere.

Hope chances a glance up, examining Penelope from her place three feet away, a heated surge flows through her bloodstream. Her emotions tainted by the memory of the wounded witches darkly cultivated habits back at the boarding school. Her eyes, filled with anger, stay for too long on the curled-up figure across the cell. Her frustration levels before it comes to a boil as she begins to look deeper at her counterpart. 

Penelope has scars, cuts and scratches covering her from her temple down to her toes. Barely scabbed, the wounds leer at the young Mikaelson. Mocking her intent to study, the injuries sneer. They stack up in number, making it hard for the girl to count. The damage done of the course of days, maybe weeks, stabs the center of Hope’s chest as she recognizes the shriveled demeanor of a pain that’s not just physical. The tribrid's expression reels and her non-committal curiosity transforms into a reminiscent search party that keeps stumbling on familiar emotions. The ache of betrayal swirls in Penelope’s dim eyes, hardly open, the soft glint fires back at Hope. Her breath hitches as the chilled presence of failure creeps its way from the motionless girl until it reaches the other side.

Sensing the outreach of emotions, Penelope brings her head up, slow and stiff, until her eye line is even with Hope’s. Her brows knit together when they fall on Hope’s focused features. Pushing off the steel behind her, Penelope straightens out her back as much as her body will allow. Her muscles squeal, but the proud witch is not one to be pitied. Rolling her shoulders back and clearing her throat, Penelope tries to piece together her signature sass, “Don’t act so sad, Mikaelson…Y…” She stutters as a cramp in her side pulses, making her wince before she can continue, “…You don’t have to pretend that you care what happened back there.” She says with a head tilt.

Hope shifts from her soft expression to stern glare. She clicks her lips together in a meek scoff and rolls her eyes, “I do care…. Surprisingly.” She adds with a shrug, not expecting the words to come out of her mouth.

Penelope quirks her lips up half-heartedly, “Just when I think the day can’t get any stranger…” She closes her eyes, leaning her head back to rest between two of the pipes.

“You know…” Hope starts, shifting her weight around on the concrete, settling into her spot, “I was never part of a group back at school. I had a lot of time to myself.”

“Wait, can you hold that thought…” Penelope leans forward, patting the ground around her and peering through the gaps to the other room. “I’m sure there’s a violin around here…arg… somewhere.” She chuckles despite the pain at her side. A small price to pay for the laugh.

Fighting a smile, Hope cocks her head to the side, “What I’m saying is…” She grabs Penelope’s attention again, “I saw a lot, being on the outside looking in.”

A giggle escapes the tired witch, “Stalker?”

Brushing off the comment Hope continues, “I watched relationships left and right and it made me envious. There was a begrudging part of me that wanted a person to call my own, just like all of them. So, I told myself it was okay because none of them lasted anyway and I wouldn’t want that.” She pauses, tasting the words in her mouth as if she’s never spoken them before. Casting her thoughts aside she looks back to Penelope, “And as wild as it seems, I was jealous of you.”

“That doesn’t… make you… special.” The girl barks back with her mouth half shut, resisting a wave of pain, “Lots of people want some of this.” She gestures to herself with an unbalanced hand.

“You were with a girl who cared about you more than anything. You were her world. When you walked into the same room as her, she smiled so bright, any vamps in the same place would double check to see if their rings were still on.”

The corner of the brooding witch’s mouth twitches at the memory, it softens the nonchalant glare into fond reckoning.

The tribrid laughs through the recollection, feeling again her surprise at the relationship, “She was the only person that could never do wrong by you. She was living proof that you had a heart. I thought it was amazing that you two had that connected. I thought you two would be the two to make it, to beat all the rest in a perfect blend of chaotic energy meeting stability…And then suddenly…” Hope dips the edges of her mouth, “She became you’re worst enemy. She, who doesn’t have a bad bone in her body, actually started to hate you.”

Penelope frowns at the statement, dropping the ghosted smile and replacing the light in her eye with a shrouded sadness. She looks away, locking eyes with the vacant space outside.

“I was shocked, that after living for each other for a year that you could snap your fingers and be so cruel. It ruined the idea you made me believe, that bonds like that exist.” She taps her chest for emphasis. “But it dawned on me when she nearly burned the entire school down a week ago when she found out about the merge… that you weren’t being cold because you didn’t care. You were being cold because you need her to keep living even if it’s not with you.”

“I didn’t want to leave.” Penelope stalls, her face scrunched up as a tear slips down the side of her face. Her voice trembles, quivering at the confession. Her words are congested by the lump now stuck in her throat, “I thought that maybe, if she was forced to be her own person, she’d be strong enough to win.” Tears begin falling in a thin stream, “But instead she just resented m…me…and I did too.”

Hope looks on, her eyes taught with pain, watching the other girl’s emotions reach their summit, “So, you went for plan B.”

“I couldn’t wa…grrr…watch it happen. So, I came here to try to find some answers. Clearly that didn’t go well.” She states, curling back into herself.

Hope’s pale blue eyes glaze over, but she shakes it away. She mulls over a thought before picking herself up. The process is slow with limited energy to work with. Pushing off the solid floor with her palms, she makes her way to the steel bars alongside Penelope. Her weight takes over as she tries to sit back down, slamming her back against the pipe with a reverberating ring and sliding down to level with the girl next to her. Once settled, she reaches over and brushes a wet spot away from Penelope’s cheek with her thumb. She takes note of the smooth surface despite the recent blemishes that were added at the cabin.

“Thanks.” Penelope opens her hazel eyes to meet the earnest look in front of her, “I’m sorry for before.” She takes Hope captive, her gaze rests in the calming color. A forgiving wave of sapphire pushes away residual anxiety, if only for a moment.

“You don’t have to apologize. I’ve done things in the past I regret. You just learn to live with it.” She lingers in a pool of green for the moment, the surge of commonality drawing Hope in, “I get it now.”

“What?” A glint of amusement dances across the hazel stage.

Not breaking the connection, Hope speaks in a hushed tone, patching together a puzzle in her head and finding the final piece, “Why Josie fell in love with you.”

Penelope sobers, transfixed on Hopes expression, looking for the lie in her eyes, but coming up empty. She’s locked in by the icy shades of blue, freezing her focus in place. A beat passes and the frozen chill reaches her chest, constricting the air under the cool weight. 

Before her last breath is stolen, Penelope coughs lightly, shaking the frost away and taking a lungful of oxygen back, “And I totally get why she had a crush on you.” She laughs…genuinely. A spark returns to her smile, reigniting her spice.

“I can help you heal y’know.” Hope suggests, going against the glare she receives on the other end, “Come on, you need your strength back and you’ll feel less like shit after.”

“I think I’m good with healing the… old fashioned way.” She says with a tight smile and confirming nod.

Hope scoffs playfully, “We don’t know what’s going to happen the next time someone walks down that hall and all my magic was siphoned. You might be our only chance at taking on what these witches have in store.”

Penelope looks at the hybrid, brows tilted in, skepticism written all over her face. The pain ultimately gives way though, the non-stop ache in her side driving her insane, “Okay, fine.”

Nodding once, Hope doesn’t hesitate, noticing the discomfort in the stubborn girls shifting gaze and not wanting to prolong the feeling. She brings her wrist up and digs in with her front two teeth. It’s not easy since she doesn’t have any fangs, unlike when vampires perform the trick. She shoves her teeth in, grimacing when they finally scratch through the surface as a rifling sting sprints up her arm. The familiar copper tinge pollutes her taste buds as blood finds its way through her skin. As a stream thick enough is produced, she extends her arm out to the damaged girl.

Looking at it, Penelope swallows hard, her face wrinkled in disgust.

“You have to hurry before it closes.”

Penelope glances up quickly, double checking this is okay. She receives a slight nod from Hope, signaling for her to just do it. Without further questioning, Penelope sucks in a short breath and grabs the pale wrist in front of her with two hands, bringing it to her mouth. She lasts no more than a second when she flings it back to its owner, practically gagging as blood smears the floor.

She coughs dramatically while wiping her face ferociously, ridding it as of much of the red that she can, “That is so gross!”

Hope retracts, eyes wide in exaggerated offence while she swipes at the excess liquid on her skin, “Uh… you’re welcome.” She sasses, relaxing a bit when she sees the cut has already closed, a magenta stain the only sign of the previously open wound. 

Sitting pin straight now, Penelope’s jaw drops, “Holy shit.” She taps her sides freely, testing the waters when no pain resonates. She eyes her own hands, admiring the stability coursing through her fingers before bringing them to rest on her face. Tracing her cheek and rising to her temple, she smiles. Her fingertips expect divots and ruts, but only come to find dried sweat and blood, “Cool party trick.” She plays-off the feature, trying not to let too much of her suaveness be lost in her wonderment.

“So…” Hope starts, settling in next to her healed partner, satisfied at her ability to help the other girl, “Your parents are Heretics. I didn’t see that coming.”

Penelope looks over her shoulder and raises her brows, laying back into the bars behind her, “Yeah, tell me about it.”

“At least I can finally take second place in the craziest family history contest.”

“What do you know about them?” Penelope asks with brevity of hope in her eyes. She twiddles her fingers in uncertainty, not sure if she wants to know.

Sucking in a deep breath, Hope prepares for an explanation, “I don’t know much aside from what Alaric told me. But basically, the Heretics were all once a part of the Gemini coven until they were cast out in the nineteenth century for being siphoners. They met Lili Salvatore, who turned them into vampires”

“Lili Salvatore? Like Stephan and Damon Salvatore’s mother?” Penelope asks, fully invested in the lesson. 

“Yeah and that’s not what makes this crazy. When she turned them, they could still practice magic. And because they were siphoners, they could use their vampirism as an unlimited source of power. Lili essentially created a whole new breed.”

“So, Valarie and those two… my… real parents… are vampire-witch hybrids?” Hope nods along to the statement, “Whoa.”

“Yeah… whoa. That also makes you a Gemini by blood.”

“Shit.”

“I’m still rattled because they were supposed to all be dead except Valarie. It looks like they found another one of nature’s loopholes.”

“And now that bitch wants to use her centuries-old family to get a boy back.” She scoffs with her nose up at the lowliness of the woman.

Hope begins to respond, but is cut short by a familiar sound. A swift crack goes off behind them, reminiscent of an indoor firework, the interruption stirs the two cellmates to their feet. Penelope lands on her feet first and thankfully so as she reaches out a hand to sturdy Hope, who stumbles beside her, dizziness striking the girl as she wasn’t ready for such a quick movement. Checking first on the brunette, now more stable, she snaps her head to face the figure outside of the steel pipes. 

Appearing from a cloud of smoke with arms neatly tucked behind her back, is the strange woman from before, leering at them through reflective glasses with a taught unimpressed expression.

“Are you here to explain why you locked us up?” Penelope challenges, looking around the woman for any indication of why she may have showed up, but finding nothing of use.

The older woman turns her head in the feisty witch’s direction, “You seem to have found some spunk.” She says, her nose tilted down so she can observe Penelope through the space at the top of her glasses, “We have a very strict no hybrid policy at the school, due to circumstances that occurred at the hands of such creatures. It isn’t personal”

Penelope waves her arms in protest, “I get why you don’t like her,” She points to nods to Hope, who clings to her arm, “but I’m not even a hybrid. Why am I here?”

“Jeez, Penelope, I thought we were bonding over here.” Hope scolds, letting go over Penelope.

Penelope shrugs in apology, cringing at how the comment sounded.

“Your bloodline makes you directly related to the monsters that nearly killed an entire population of our students years ago. Your heritage was not known to us before, but now that it is, we can’t let you continue.”

Grunting in frustration, Penelope tries to etch together what the woman’s words mean, “Can’t… what… Can’t let me continue?” She asks, fear skipping its way into her voice.

“Correct. Both of you cannot. The board has decided the most suitable way for you to go is by way of savagery, like the lives that ended before yours.”

“So, it is personal.” Hope deadpans while struggling to process what kind of shit-storm they’ve fallen into this time.

“Slow the fuck down, lady. We aren’t even twenty yet, can you hold-up on the kill-switch.”

“No.” The woman ignores the quick plea from Penelope, who rattles in anger and confusion. The woman brings up a pruned hand with slender fingers outstretched towards Hope and without a second thought, snaps them together.

On command Hope flies back, slamming into the stiff wall behind them, limbs flailing as she leaves her feet for a second before coming back down. Kicked-up by the impact, a shell of dust cascades onto her back.

“I’ll be back, when it is done and will take care of the rest.” The woman confirms coldly, evaporating in a puff of smoke. She disappears as quick as she appeared.

“Wait! What did you do to her?” Penelope calls to the ghosted area. “Crap.” She cusses, spinning on her heel and rushing over to Hope, who is hunched over, face hidden by a mess of hair, “Are you okay?”

Hope doesn’t answer and instead lets out an inhuman growl. The animalistic sound rumbles deeply, echoing down the hall.

“Fuck, Hope!”

Hope backs up violently, standing up straight with a crack and throwing herself into the wall again. Her eyes squeeze as she grits her teeth with harsh focus. She brings her arms down and slams her palms into the wall, her fingers digging into the rock formation and forcing it to crack, “Get… back.” She hisses through gated teeth.

Penelope backs up with purpose until her feet hit the metal barrier. She flings her hands up in a defensive stance, heels forward, facing the tribrid, “What kind of a spell did she use?” She breaths out with panic rising.

“A… triggering-spell.” She spits out. Resisting something invisible and losing, “Ahh!” She screams, giving way to something dark. She opens her eyes wide, her will caving and confirming the worst-case scenario as a golden glow shines bright… and directly at Penelope.

“This is not good at all.” Penelope breathes out, bracing herself as Hope lunges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think??? I know not much action, but there is a lot to come ;) and we get the gang back in the next chapter. I know, I miss them too. But yeah, if you wanna hit me up on twitter (im new to it) and harass me to write or just chat me up just cuz id honestly love that. 
> 
> @averagegaychick is where its at.
> 
> Thanks again for reading, you guys give me life. I'm back on that writing grind, so lets get this story rolling. Let me know how you are feeling as always. ty ty ty Peace and love - Maggie


End file.
